The Ocarina of Time
by Crimson Water
Summary: Ocarina of Time, retold as a novel, with a few new characters and events. UPDATE: Chapter 29 complete! Link and Sheik set their sights on the Fire Temple, while an ancient and forbidden curse stills the waters of Zora's Domain.
1. The Summoning

**-Introduction by Author-**

Greetings! Salutations! Thank you for choosing to read my adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

I started this project back in May 2004. Back then, I wasn't aware of so I just wrote it as a novel for myself and my family. By word-of-mouth alone, I heard about the site, and decided to put it up. There were 14 chapters when I posted (of course, I wish I started with one so I'd get more reviews).

More about the work in question. Although this is an adaptation, everyone has their own interpretation, and/or ideas that would make the story more realistic or exciting. This story has many more twists, all new events that weren't featured in the game, and two original major characters. Your own preceptions will not change what is written here, but simply colour it. While reading it, keep in mind that there are other novelizations of this fantastic game, and I do reccomend reading those as well while you are waiting for me to update.

My earlier chapters are somewhat sub-par for my tastes, and they are currently under revision. Feel free to read them anyway; they're not that bad, and they will lead you to the much better-written later chapters.

I welcome ALL reviews. Not only is it a real treat for me to get a nice, lengthy review on the whole story, but it is even better if someone takes the time to revew _every chapter_, with probrably a sentence or two per review. If you would be couteous enough to do this if you are new to this story, PLEASE do this for me. The more specific each review on how good it is or where I need to improve, the more I can develop as a writer and the more modivation you will give me to sit down and write! If you really don't have the time (but for some odd reason you take the time to read my story) then one review will be fine. Thank you for your contribution!

Enjoy!

- Crimson Water

* * *

Prologue

_Birth and Death_

_Swirls of darkness lingered about as he laid there, their unpredictable patterns seemingly mesmerizing him in their dance. Perhaps they were real. Perhaps they were only figments of his imagination as his senses began to fail him. Maybe they were the spirits of the dead, hovering over him, patiently waiting for him to die so they could take him to the other world, where he could remain bodiless until the end of time. Whatever they were, he did not care, for nothing mattered anymore. Everything he held precious was now irrelevant, and he felt no guilt for it._

_He clutched the left side of his torso, trying to reduce the blood flow. The bright-red substance leaked through the spaces between his fingers, and dripped heavily down his hand and down the rest of his body. Every time he breathed, the wound grew and shrunk, making it painful to even exist. The spear had torn right through his kidney, and maybe something else. He was surely going to die here, leaning against this lone tree in a dark place, rain soaking the ground. The long grass surrounding him gently brushed against his weakening body, almost like it was trying to comfort him in his passing. At least the rain made soft noises as he lay there, beginning to struggle to breathe. Cold silence has a tendency to atrophy any sense of compassion. He began to taste blood in his mouth. He mixed it up with his saliva and spat it out to his side with what little strength he had remaining._

_He found strength when he looked to his left. His wife, leaning close to him with tear-filled eyes, one hand on his shoulder, her thumb caressing it gently. When he looked into her eyes, he knew that she was realizing as well that he wasn't going to last very long. In them, he saw emotions of hope, hope that he would recover, but at the same time he saw them fading swiftly. The hood of her cloak was over her head, but her jade eyes stood out, even though everything began to get blurry._

_He had been escorting her away from the enemy, who moved north to strike Hyrule Castle in attempt to deliver a hammer blow to the Hylian forces. If he weren't a soldier, they would've been surely unaware of the enemy's movements, and would be stranded there when they stormed the streets. He had rounded up a few of his comrades to accompany them on their journey away from the city, just to be safe. Not too long after they left the city gates, they were ambushed by a stray patrol of Moblins and Gerudos. They sprung out of the bushes like assassins, and attempted to bring them down, including the woman who they were escorting. They managed to fend them off, but not without a price. They lost two men, and judging by how badly he was wounded, that number was soon to become three. They managed to get away from the area on horseback, but some had to share their steeds since some had wandered off during the attack. They had high hopes of meeting up with more of their fellow soldiers, but the possibility of running into anyone was growing slimmer by the hour. As his wound soon became mortal, he could not bear to travel on horseback anymore, so they stopped here._

_They had been waiting here for an hour now, and things hadn't gotten any better. They received news from a letter-carrying pigeon that the enemy had struck the queen's entourage approximately six miles south. They had no confirmation on who survived the assault. They didn't even know if the queen was still alive. Endless seemed this war and endless seemed the attacks made on the soldiers trying to move from one place to another. He now wondered what the enemy's intentions really were, seeing as they were recklessly attacking the Hylians in different and almost unpredictable patterns. Perhaps they were getting desperate and wanted to break off the legs of the table before destroying the surface. Now that they ambushed the queen…what would happen now? The king would surely be devastated, but what about the military situation? The queen's possible death may affect it entirely. Well, it didn't matter to him anymore, because whether or not the queen was dead, he was a goner._

_Suddenly, he thought he was hearing things. He heard what sounded like the hooves of a galloping horse approaching. His men, five of them, shrouded in the downpour of rain, seemingly blurred silhouettes to him now, now began to move and look off toward the south; the same direction in which the horse was coming from. They pointed and muttered amongst themselves, inaudible to him. He might've even saw one of them wave in that direction, as some sort of cry for help. Even his wife began to slowly avert her eyes and see what the commotion was all about. Now the soldiers were calling out to it, signalling it to come to them. Was it a lone soldier advancing? He was afraid that the rain's watery curtain had bent the dim light so out of proportion that his men were mistaking an enemy soldier as one of their own._

_However, the enemy wasn't known to ride their steeds so gracefully. The enemy didn't train their horses, making them slightly inferior. This horse's steps were perfectly balanced and in flawless rhythm. They seemed rushed, but not the kind of rush that one would perform in an attack. They were more hurried, showing somewhat of urgency. What, or who could it be? The soldiers seemed pretty confident it was an ally, but who? Would it be someone who could help them? He wanted nothing but the best for his companions, but he would accept no help from him, for he'd only hold them back and he was going to die anyway._

_The pounding of the hooves grew louder still, and he could feel the ground vibrate in synchronicity. Soon, the blur of a rider-on-steed came into view. The rider was rather bulky, and was enrobed in a hood and cloak to protect himself from the rain. He couldn't see it clearly, but his robes appeared to be somewhat ripped and torn from what appeared to be swords or spears. Was he part of the queen's protection unit? The rider brought his horse to a halt just before the soldiers, who seemed quite gleeful to see him._

"_Lieutenant Amentaris! Thank goodness you're here!" cried one of the soldiers. Was it really the famous Pious Amentaris? The general's favourite soldier had miraculously come to their aid at the time when they needed it most. Now, his soldiers had a good chance to making it to safety as long as Amentaris provided enough protection from stray enemies._

_Amentaris slowly lifted his hood off his head, revealing his young visage. A deep cut was visible on him, going from the centre of his forehead to his right cheek. It looked like he was indeed attacked. His long, jet-black hair waved in front of it, like curtains waving in the wind that covered a hole in the wall._

"_Are you boys alright?" Amentaris inquired. "You all look rather shook up."_

"_We were ambushed," another soldier took the liberty to say. "About eight miles north of here. A small group of Moblins and Gerudos…they came out of nowhere. We lost two men and three horses."_

_Amentaris eyed him, sitting there, bleeding on the ground._

"_And…is this one of the casualties?" he asked._

_The soldiers briefly glanced over him before turning back to Amentaris._

"_No, he is but wounded," one of them said. "We have been aiding him since the ambush. He has suffered a deep spear wound to the left torso. It was upon his request for us to camp here. We have been escorting him and his wife away from the city for the past day or so."_

_Amentaris nodded, understanding. "Was it because of the fear of attack?"_

_The soldiers turned back to him. They stared at him intently, most likely searching for an answer. He summoned up some strength and nodded. His wife clung closer to him, possibly afraid that Amentaris would be infuriated by their desertion._

_Amentaris did not seem mad, however. Instead, he actually looked indulgent._

"_Well, Private…" he said. He turned to his wife. "…and Ma'am, you no longer have anything to fear. There will be no attack on the city gates. The war is over; the queen is dead."_

_The soldiers all jumped simultaneously. Was what Amentaris saying true? Was the war really over? It had lasted for almost a year now, and just in one sudden instant, the fire had been immediately extinguished. So, the queen had really been vanquished, and the war was over._

"_Does this mean…" one of the soldiers began. "Does this mean that…all is lost?"_

_Amentaris raised an eyebrow. "Hm?" He suddenly then flinched and hastily shook his head. "Oh, no. No, all is not lost. The victory is in our favour."_

_The soldiers once again flinched. How was this possible? Now they were thinking thoughts of Amentaris possibly loosing his mind._

"_How…" muttered a soldier. "We…we won?"_

_Amentaris grinned. "You did not mishear me, soldier. We have vanquished the enemy."_

"_How is it possible?" questioned another._

"_Attacking us and the queen was a fatal mistake on the enemy's part," Amentaris explained. "The entire thing was a diversion."_

"_You sacrificed the queen's life just to get the enemy distracted?"_

_Amentaris shook his head. "It was all her idea. She was willing to put herself in harms way for the sake of Hyrule. She wanted to drive the enemy away from the castle, and further down south. The enemy took full advantage of the opportunity to strike, and changed their course, eventually intercepting us." Amentaris' eyes hardened. "I saw many men fall today, and I'm not certain if I'm the only survivor or not. I barely escaped the onslaught."_

"_Amentaris…sir…" mumbled one of the soldiers. "Are you saying…that you ran away from the battle? Are you a deserter?"_

"_He can't be!" cried another. "Amentaris would never back down from a fight if he hadn't a good reason!"_

"_Right you are," said Amentaris. "I'm not a coward, although I still can't help but feel guilt for abandoning my men. But, I had to. Sometimes there are more important things than fighting for many lives. Here, let me explain._

"_The queen rallied many troops to be her escorts," Amentaris began. "She wanted to be a decoy, and was willing to forfeit her life, thus making it perplexing why she wanted so many. It was as if…she wanted something to be delayed." Amentaris' eyes began to wander. "Naturally, I began to get curious, so I took the liberty of asking her myself." He then turned back to the soldiers, now with a very serious look. "There was something else troubling her besides the savage beasts that roamed the fields."_

"_What was it?" the man's wife uttered. The soldiers, including Amentaris, looked at her for a second. She hadn't said anything this whole voyage, but now it seemed that Amentaris' story had intrigued even her. She looked at him with keen eyes, begging him to continue._

_Amentaris nodded politely, and went on. "She had hand-picked every soldier in her entourage, including myself, for there was something she needed protected. Not her own life, but something else." He exhaled, as if thinking about it was getting him exhausted. "She told me what it was."_

"…_and?" said the man's wife again, making everyone else as eager as she was._

_Amentaris looked at her, and just her. It would appear that he wanted to say the next line to her, since she was the one who asked the question. He stared at her with his unusual grey eyes, with all of their furious intensity._

"_She was pregnant."_

_The soldiers muttered amongst themselves. The queen was pregnant? How did they not know? Traditionally, there would be an announcement of the future heir to the throne, and a giant celebration following it. Why was it kept so secret, especially from the soldiers? Suddenly, a new thought arose from among them. If the queen was dead, and she was pregnant, then the child must've been dead as well. Who would take over the throne of Hyrule once the King had passed? The King was middle-aged, but was soon going to become elderly. A king marrying more than once was forbidden, and now that his spouse had been killed, who knew what he would do? Was this the end of the one and only monarchy that ruled Hyrule? Would a new family have to be selected as royalty? It seemed too radical of a solution, but with no family with royal blood, the order of the land would surely become unstable. It was the only way to fix things once the king was gone, and it was the last thing they wanted. They won the war, but not without a costly price. What good was defeating a savage enemy when your future hopes of salvation would be decimated in the first place?_

_Suddenly, their mumbling was hushed when a small sound came from underneath Lieutenant Amentaris' cloak. It was like a tiny squeak, muffled underneath the fabric. It was shortly followed by a few hiccup-like sounds, and then a few moans…like something was crying._

"_Oh…" said Amentaris as his eyes widened. He began to look at the area where the noises were coming from. His arms could be seen fidgeting under his cloak, the sounds now pausing frequently as they moved. Soon, they got into a fixed position, and Amentaris slowly raised one half of his cloak, revealing what was hidden underneath._

_Cradled in the Lieutenant's arms was a small infant, sobbing quietly as it uneasily woke from its slumber. It was wrapped in the lightest and finest of white silk, a sharp and angelic contrast to Amentaris' dark, dirty, thick wool cloak. A beautiful piece of jewellery was placed on its forehead, with a small emerald, ruby, and sapphire all surrounded with delicate gold as the three main focuses of attention, all about as small as a thumbnail. This would be something put on a girl shortly after her birth. Even with his blurred vision, he could see this child's eyes shine clearly, basking in their own cerulean radiance._

"_Ah…she's awake…" Amentaris mumbled. He stared warmly at the baby girl as all of the soldiers began to crowd around, trying to get a good look. The child continued to sob as she looked at Amentaris, hopefully not wondering where her mother was. Amentaris smiled and playfully tickled the child's nose, causing the infant to suddenly laugh and grab the Lieutenant's finger with hands that weren't even half as wide. Amentaris chuckled as the child began to curiously look at the finger it had seized. Supposedly the child's interest in the world brought a smile to his face. As the child continued to hang onto his finger, Amentaris turned back to the soldiers._

"_She was born two hours before the attack. You are looking at the new princess of Hyrule."_

_A huge sigh of relief swept across the soldiers. It was the kind of relief you felt after looking for a precious belonging for hours and finding it in the last place you could think of. So, it was truly a victory after all. The newborn princess barely escaped the ambush thanks to Amentaris carrying her out, and now they had an heir to the throne…a soon-to-be queen. It was quite fortunate that she was born just before the attack, letting her have at least a couple hours with her mother. The salvation of Hyrule…the continuance of justice and order lay within this only child, and she didn't even know it. A new question once again formed itself among the soldier's mumbling, but the only member of the fairer sex was the first to ask it to the Lieutenant._

"_What is her name?" asked the fallen man's wife._

_The soldiers once again hushed, awaiting an answer from Amentaris. He was looking at the child, almost like a father would. The princess was now exploring his entire hand. His eyes did not avert from hers as he slowly opened his mouth._

"_Zelda. Her name is Zelda."_

_Zelda…a name fit for a princess…but as far as he could remember, no other member of royalty had been given that name. Many of the female names had been tedious and repetitive, but Zelda…it had an atmosphere to it not present in the other names of history. It was soft and sweet, yet it had a powerful demand for respect, almost intimidating in its nature. It reminded him of moonlight and silvery waters. Princess Zelda…it worked. He liked it._

_Suddenly, a loud, barbaric roar was heard from the south. It echoed from the mountaintops, all over the field. The soldiers jumped and pointed their weapons in the same direction. The man's wife once again clung close to him in fear. He wouldn't be able to protect her, not in this state. He wished he could, but his days were numbered. Amentaris' eyes looked to the south, with an entirely new expression. It was of anger, hate, and somewhat alarm. He hurriedly covered up Princess Zelda with his robes, once again concealing her._

"_We ride north," he said. "The enemy is once again steering themselves towards the city, and we'll be sitting ducks if we are to remain." He turned reassuringly towards the soldiers. "The counter-offensive has been launched from the gates and has been ordered to intercept them. This is what is going to win us this war."_

"_Wouldn't we be forced to fight?" one of the soldiers asked. "If we run into them, wouldn't they order us to come with them?"_

"_Not while carrying this precious cargo," Amentaris answered. "We will explain ourselves to them if they request us in battle. I am sure they will let us return to the king to present him his newborn daughter."_

_The soldiers nodded and began to head towards their remaining steeds. Some horses had two infantrymen on their backs due to the loss a few hours back. He watched the mount, knowing that he wasn't going with them. In a sense, they were abandoning him, but what was the harm, anyway? He would've welcomed a merciful blow to the head to put him out of his misery._

_Once everyone was mounted, Amentaris began to steer his horse towards the north. He looked at his accompanying party, not without looking at the fallen one with his wife._

"_Aren't you going to come along? We can get you fixed up when we arrive at the city."_

_He shook his head. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be dead long before we'd even get there, believe me."_

_Amentaris' lips curled. It looked as if he was trying to reassure him, but hearing his response, it looked like it was impossible now. Perhaps even Amentaris knew that the man was going to die anyway._

"_Don't worry about me," said the man. "Lieutenant, you'll make General for this. The king will surely promote you to top-rank for rescuing his daughter."_

"_Military ranks mean nothing to me," said Amentaris with a smile. "All I care about is the mission, and completing it successfully. Fame and fortune are not my goals here."_

_The man nodded understanding._

_Amentaris bowed his head. "I wish you an easy passing."_

"_Thank you," the man replied, already beginning to feel weak._

"_Would the young lady care for a ride back?" Amentaris asked the man's wife._

_She clung close to him, not daring letting go. "No…" she muttered. "No, I won't leave him!"_

_Amentaris' eyes narrowed. "Are you sure, madam? You will certainly be overrun if you are to remain here."_

"_I don't care!" she cried. "If he dies, then I'm dying with him!" Her voice was quivering._

"_Don't grieve for me," said the husband. "Go with the Lieutenant. Live your life. You don't need me to keep you from fulfilling your dreams."_

"_My dreams lie with you," she said back to him. "If you don't exist, then neither do they. I'd rather live in the House of the Dead than my own by myself." She turned back to Amentaris. "Go. Go back to the city. We're fine right where we are. Thank you for your offer."_

_Amentaris closed his eyes and exhaled glumly. "So be it. May both of your deaths be painless."_

_The lieutenant kicked off his horse, and the others shortly followed. They all quickly sped up into a gallop into the dark, watery chasm that was the horizon. Eventually the darkness engulfed them, and only the sound of their beating hooves remained._

_They were alone…

* * *

_

1

_The Summoning_

Shadowy memories gathered menacingly. He passed through the mists of the past yet again to live through all of this once more. The lonely figure stood there frozenly, awaiting things to repeat themselves once more. Under deep black skies, unfriendly winds all around him, he yearned for the fulfillment of his dreams, like everyone. These thoughts supposedly guided him here. They nourished and warmed him, yet he felt hungry and cold.

_Pit…pat…pit…pat…_It wasn't raining hard, although it looked like it was about to, he thought. He didn't know where he was, and wasn't sure how he got here. He was just standing there, in front of a large structure made out of materials that he had never seen before. It filled him with wonder, and at the same time it was like he was familiar with the strange structure.

As he looked at the structure, he noticed a large, wooden part of the wall, which looked like it was able to move. When he looked below the structure, flowing water rolled by freely. So, it must've been some kind of bridge that could be built and removed in the blink of an eye. His eyes narrowed when he noticed it seemed that some sort of glow was coming out from behind the bridge resting up against the structure. He clenched his chest as his heart began to beat faster and faster.

The rain came from leaking, to a moderate pour of light rain, to a downpour. As he looked at himself, he was shocked to realize that although the rain plummeted to the earth in a seemingly endless pour, he felt warm and perfectly dry. Crashes of lightning screeched down from the sky, striking the many mountains surrounding with pure force and absolute power. He wasn't familiar with lighting; he only heard of it in stories, and every time they were mentioned it always meant something bad was going to happen.

The distance between him and the structure seemed to be stretching apart; an ominous warning of danger. He began to panic. He looked around franticly, searching for an obvious path to follow, maybe leading back home. All he could see were rolling hills and tall grass, half hidden by the veil of water that the rain created. He flinched; rusty clanking and grinding was heard from behind.

He turned around sharply to see what it could possibly be. The pockets of fire that burned furiously on either side of the wooden bridge seemed to blaze even brighter as the plank itself was slowly lowered to the ground by huge, rusty metal chains. The bridge slammed into the ground, throwing dust and other things skyward. At that point, everything went silent. The rain and thunder was drowned out by the pumping of his heart as he stood in awe of what he just witnessed.

What was revealed by the lowering of the bridge was a huge, dark abyss that even the sun itself probably could not penetrate. Sinful and dark fears rose and grew within him, as he stood in suspense at what could possibly be awaiting him through the black. Everything seemed to grow quieter as his heart pumped stronger and stronger. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a horses neigh, calling in a panic from the distance.

He snapped back into consciousness. He squinted into the threatening, dark void that used to be hiding behind the bridge. He looked further and further, until he saw some sort of light. It was like a tiny star in the night sky, poking through the clouds, making it the only visible one. Once it seemed to be growing, it came to his realization that it was coming at him, fast. Now he could hear distant galloping…a horse. He knew what horses were, but was only told about them in stories and books that were read to him when he was younger. This was the first time he had ever seen one. As it got closer, he grew nervous at the uncertainty of the animal's intentions. It seemed determined to continue its direction and speed. The way it moved was hypnotic to him, for its speed persisted to increase as it grunted and neighed due to what looked like fear. It was as if he could relate to the animal, because he had a funny feeling that his dread was mutual with the horse.

In seconds, the horse had caught up to him, and didn't seem to be slowing down. If he didn't do anything, he would surely be trampled. By instinct, he bolted out of the way in a desperate attempt to get off of the path that the horse followed. He heard it gallop past, and begin to race into the distance. Gathering himself, he turned around watch it travel into the darkness behind him, possibly revealing the way home, parting the shadows hopefully. When he looked at the white steed, he noticed that it wasn't alone; two people were on its back, travelling with it.

There was a woman, who looked like she was controlling where the horse was going. Her eyes were fixed on the decaying horizon, determined to reach an unknown destination. While directing the horse, she seemed to be holding onto something, or someone. When he looked harder, he noticed that the woman was apparently protecting a young girl, who was mounted in front of her. She was beautiful; about his age, with sparkling, somewhat teary eyes. He was immediately entranced once this mysterious girl suddenly looked at him. She gave him a glance of shock, worry and despair all mixed into one expression, as if she knew him, and hadn't seen him in a very long time. As the horse began to gallop out of sight, he could only wonder if he had some sort of connection with that girl. As soon as he knew it, the horse, woman, and mysterious child were gone. He felt somewhat disappointed that he didn't get the chance to talk with that girl, but now it was too late. He felt somewhat distressed as he began to believe that he may never get that chance again.

Now he just heard the downpour of rain. It was back to where he started again, lost and confused, trapped in a watery cage. He couldn't help but continue to stare into the obscurity in a fading hope that the horse would turn around and save him. He slowly came back to reality; no help was coming.

He jumped; what about the void that the bridge revealed? Maybe if he went in there, he could find some answers. He felt a little more content as he began to turn around, but that was soon to change. When he turned towards the structure behind him, his face was rocked off. He stumbled and backed up a few steps, but could not look away; it was the most horrifying thing he had ever seen in his life.

* * *

_The light parted the darkness, sweeping calmly over the canopy of the forest. Dead silence was broken into the chirping of waking birds and the rustle of leaves shivering the early-morning winds. The cold and still air began to move and twirl, warming and getting ready for hosting the living. The forest was waking; more noises could be heard as more things began to once again start their daily lives. Even though it flowed throughout the night, the many streams that wound their way around the endless tree trunks were now heard much clearer in the lighted air. The tranquil and dreaming woods began to stir once more as a new day began._

_Blurry things gradually became clear, and sounds that were once muffled were now distinctively audible. Everything was still black however, and she knew she could change that, but not now. She wanted to keep it this way just a little longer, just so she could feel comfortable for a few more minutes. She controlled the darkness that she saw, and could make it come back and go away whenever she pleased. It was a power that she loved to have, and liked to have the obscurity surrounding her whenever she lay down on the luscious earth. As the breeze passed over her, she then began to get the urge to once again see the light that guided her through her everyday life._

_Suddenly, she felt something land on her nose, invisible to her veiled line of vision. It was light, like a leaf, but it sat there quite stably on the tip of her nose, making that possibility nonexistent. She wanted to see what it was, but didn't really want the light to come back just yet._

"_Saria?" squeaked a tiny voice._

_She exhaled hopelessly as she came to realize it was time to let the light return. She opened her eyes, letting the light surround her again. She blinked dazedly as she looked at what was on her nose. Saria couldn't help but giggle; it was her guardian fairy, Tamil._

"_About time," said Tamil. "I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to get up."_

"_It was a long night," Saria yawned. "Give me a break. Where are we, anyway?"_

_Tamil looked around and behind her with a forced grin. She turned back to Saria matter-of-factly._

"_Well, judging by the giant tree behind me…" Tamil began. "Can you say 'Great Deku Tree's Meadow'?"_

_Saria playfully flicked Tamil off her nose to get a good look at her surroundings; Tamil's pink glow was making it hard to see. She couldn't help but chuckle when she confirmed that she was indeed in the presence of the guardian spirit of the forest: The Great Deku Tree._

_The Deku Tree was known to be the source of all life in the forest. His blessed power protected the forest from all forms of evil, and gave existence and energy to all of the things that lived there. He was by far the largest tree in the woods, making him somewhat intimidating to few. His canopy could be seen from all parts of the woodland, even through the overlapping leaves of the dense heart of the forest. Everything that lived in the forest was given birth to by him, for he chose what was to be brought into the woods and what was already plentiful enough. Basically speaking, he was the father of the woods. Feared by some, looked up to by all, the Deku Tree was a remarkable spirit. Very few even got to see him. It was considered a great honour to even glance upon his trunk._

_Outside of the forbidden forest, legends had spoken of a mysterious village somewhere in the woods. Although many outsiders resent the story, little do they know that the legend is actually fact. A tiny little town lies in the heart of the forest. The houses are made out of hollowed out trunks of trees, and are placed neatly around the area in an organized fashion. Unlike the rest of the forest, the grass is neatly groomed here. The Deku Tree's canopy can easily be viewed, and what is said to be the most dangerous part of the forest: The Lost Woods, can be seen over the cliffs that surround this village. The strangest thing of all about this village, however, is who is actually living here: children. Many children who call themselves the Kokiri thrive in this village. Now don't get them wrong, they are quite efficient in maintaining a community. They provide food, shelter for new children, order, and many other things that keep them beaming with health. Only the Kokiri can live in this village and it is forbidden for anyone else to enter, hence the name: Kokiri Forest. The Great Deku Tree's Meadow, where the tree himself is located, is directly attached to the village._

"_Saria…" mumbled the Deku Tree._

_Saria flinched. She scrambled to her feet to try and look presentable to the guardian spirit._

"_Yes, Great Deku Tree?"_

"_I trust thou dreamt of pleasant things?" the Deku Tree inquired._

_Saria shrugged. "I either don't remember my dreams, or my nights have been dreamless these past few days."_

"_As to be expected," the Deku Tree muttered glumly. "It seems as though the evil has already penetrated the sanctity of the Forbidden Forest, causing dreamless nights and nightmares to those sensitive to it…"_

_Saria looked uneasily at the Deku Tree. What was he talking about? What was this "evil" he referred to?_

"_Hm…Navi…Navi, where art thou?" the Deku Tree called._

_Saria saw a dart of bright blue light shoot out of the woods, flying at high speeds through the breezeless air. It zigzagged through the Deku Tree's thick canopy, and fired out of the bottom, eventually slowing down to a halt in front of his trunk. When it wasn't flying so fast, Saria could easily tell that it was simply another fairy that did not yet have another Kokiri to look after. The poor thing…it must've waited for so long for a child of the forest to claim it as its guardian fairy, for they must linger in the fairies' haven in the heart of the Lost Woods until the Deku Tree summons them for assignment._

"_Oh, Navi the fairy..." the Deku Tree breathed, as if he was in some kind of relief._

"_What have you summoned me for, Great Deku Tree?" Navi inquired._

"_Listen to my words, the words of the Deku Tree..." he mumbled on, almost like there was some kind of time limit for him to explain whatever it was he wanted to say. "Dost thou sense it?"_

_Navi hovered there silently. "Um…I'm not sure what you are referring to."_

"_The climate of evil descending upon this realm..." the Deku Tree went on. "Malevolent forces even now are mustering to attack our land of Hyrule..."_

"_Malevolent forces?" both Navi and Saria repeated simultaneously._

"_Why would they want to attack us?" Saria asked._

"_What are these forces?" asked Navi. _

_The Deku Tree mumbled and groaned. It seemed as if it was painful for him to even mention these things. "For so long, the Kokiri Forest, the source of life, has stood as a barrier, deterring outsiders and maintaining the order of the world..."_

_Saria jumped. "The barrier…" she mumbled. "Of course! Great Deku Tree, aren't you able to protect us from whatever you are referring to? Haven't you done that in the past?"_

_The Deku Tree moaned. "Thou is correct, Saria. I have managed to turn back evil forces determined to invade our home. However...before this tremendous evil power, even my power is as nothing..."_

_Saria's heart sunk into the bottom of her chest. She knew of no power greater than that of the Deku Tree, but then again even the Great Deku Tree knew when energies exceeded his magic. She longed to know of what the evil forces were, but the guardian spirit was apparently pretty secretive of such information. Perhaps he didn't want to start too much of a panic._

_When she looked up at Navi, judging by the way she was flying, it looked like she was slightly nervous as well._

"_Your power…nothing?" she stuttered. "But…but…what will we do?"_

_The Deku Tree let out a long, gloomy sigh. "It seems the time has come for the boy without a fairy to begin his journey..."_

_Saria perked up. The boy without a fairy? If it were anyone she knew, it could only be him._

"_The boy without a fairy? Are you talking about Link?"_

"_He is the youth whose destiny it is to lead Hyrule to the path of justice and truth..." the Deku Tree replied. "The wicked forces do not know of his potential, and would shrug any mention of it off lightly."_

_Navi swallowed. "Great Deku Tree, what do you wish of me?"_

"_Navi...go now!" the Deku Tree said strongly. "Find our young friend and guide him to me..."_

_Navi slowly began to hover away from the Deku Tree, looking somewhat unsure what to do. She might have even been scared._

"_I do not have much time left..." the Deku Tree added sombrely. "Fly, Navi, fly!" he urged the sprite on. "The fate of the forest, nay, the world, depends upon thee!"_

_With a small squeak, Navi immediately took off and darted past Saria towards the pass that led towards the village. Saria watched her flutter out of sight around the corner and bit her lip as she turned towards her own fairy._

"_I think we should go see Link as well," said Saria._

"_Right now?" Tamil asked._

_Saria nodded. "He's been acting a little weird lately. Perhaps it has something to do with the sinister forces that the Deku Tree is talking about; maybe we could find some answers."_

_Tamil giggled. "Alright. I wonder how Navi is going to feel about being Link's guardian fairy from now on."_

_Saria's eyes widened. "You…you mean to say that's what the Deku Tree wanted?"_

_Tamil shrugged. "Of course. I would be confused if he were to call upon a fairy to guide Link to him. If he didn't want Link to finally have his own fairy, then he would've probably asked you to go fetch him, you know what I mean?"_

_Saria averted her eyes. "Yes, that's probably true. Well, we've got to hurry if we're going to meet up with him before he sets off."_

"_Alright," Tamil replied. "Let's go."_

_Saria turned around and began to run along the same path that Navi followed. Before she was too far away, she turned around to look at the Great Deku Tree. As she looked at him, she began to ponder his words._

…_what did he mean by he "didn't have much time left"?

* * *

_

Link woke up in his bed in a huge jolt of energy. He sat up and screamed in utter terror and frustration. His fingers curled as he began to lose his breath, but he kept on screaming. Eventually he ran out of air, and the shattering scream was quickly reduced to a small whimper. Sweat was dripping all over his body, down his face and off the ends of his bangs. His heart was pumping like a jackhammer, ramming his ribs with brute force. He sat there for a while, trying to gather his thoughts. He rubbed his forehead, wiping some of the sweat off as he began to catch his breath. He then plopped right back down onto the bed with one last exhale through his nose.

He had been having these nightmares for weeks now, and the same one happened every night. Over the past few days he had been wondering if they meant something; if they were trying to communicate to him. However, prophecies were only myth, and Link was not about to be sucked into psychological nonsense. He just reassured himself that they would pass over time…hopefully. His eyes began to become heavy, and the usual symptoms of sleepiness overcame him. He yawned, and was about to go back to sleep, he was awoken suddenly by something else.

CRASH! One of his pots has just exploded, and what was left was a glowing cerulean light that appeared to have wings, stumbling around blearily: a fairy!

Fairies were the individual guides of every Kokiri in the forest. They gave them advice, and also labelled them as true Kokiri. The Kokiri cherished their fairies, and usually became very good friends with them. The origin of the forest fairies was unknown to the Kokiri, but rumour had it that the Deku Tree was the only one he knew. Legends told that the fairy race was just as old as he was, making exaggerations that the Deku Tree was created when an ancient fairy merged himself with a regular tree, which blessed him with a tree's long life, thus making his power grow into what the Deku Tree wielded now. The fairies had many theories amongst themselves as well, but no one really knew for sure, for the Deku Tree remained silent when asked about how things came to being in the forest.

Link, however, had not yet received a fairy, therefore making him different from the rest of the children. He really wanted one, because he felt like an outsider and it was also very hard to make friends. He was expressed much sympathy all of the Kokiri, which Link was thankful for, except for one particular boy.

Mido, who claimed to be the "Big Boss of the Kokiri", was less forgiving about Link not having a fairy. He would bully Link to show off to the other children how strong he said he was, even though he was the scrawniest Kokiri of them all. The Kokiri didn't approve of him taunting Link, but didn't disapprove of it either. Link usually didn't fight back, because he is not the type of person who fights all the time, thus making him an easy target for Mido to pick on. Saria, Link's best friend, protected him from Mido; she would always break up the fights successfully because Mido had a slight crush on her. Saria didn't like him that much though, so Mido's hopes of winning her heart were quite slim.

Mido himself had quite an influence on the Kokiri tribe, although Link could see through to his intentions. Link was pretty much the only reason Mido was looked up to by them; he made him look tougher and stronger. Since the Kokiri usually witnessed the quarrels between the two, they would notice that Mido always win the fights if Saria was not there to end it, therefore giving them the impression that Mido deserved respect if he were to give the others their peace. Mido noticed how the Kokiri reacted to his actions, and took advantage of them by crowning himself their leader. Link didn't blame himself for Mido's slight rise to power; he knew that Mido couldn't control the Kokiri's freewill entirely.

The fairy groaned as she staggered around, tripping occasionally on the remnants of the pot. Link immediately collected himself and sat up in his bed. He wasn't sure if this fairy was hurt, so he had to make sure. After all, she was pretty much a guest in his house.

"Are you okay?" Link asked the small sprite hesitantly.

The fairy slowly stabled herself, trying to look at Link steadily. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine," she said. She looked over the shards of the pot she smashed. "Erm…sorry about the pot."

"No, that's okay…" said Link, trying to keep the fairy feeling welcome.

The fairy struggled to take off and began flying around the room, exploring the many things Link had stored in there.

"Excuse me, but I don't think we've met," Link said, trying to grab the fairy's attention.

"Oh! No, we haven't…I'm sorry," the fairy apologized as she cleared her throat. "I am Navi the fairy. I've been sent here by the Great Deku Tree to be your partner from now on."

"I'm Link."

"Nice to meet you Link! Now, I'd love to get to know you, but we have some business to attend," said Navi seriously. She flew over and hovered close to his head.

"Business?" Link inquired.

"You have been summoned by the Deku Tree. I've come here to guide you to him."

Link flinched. He was summoned? That was even better than getting his own fairy! "Me? Summoned? I'm sorry, but there must be some kind of mistake. Why would he want to see…me?"

"Don't ask me," replied Navi impatiently. "But we have to get going, we can't keep him waiting. If there is a mistake I'm sure he will let us know. So let's get going! Right now!"

Link leapt off the bed and quickly ran towards his clothes that were hung just beside his bed. He jumped into his emerald green tunic, fixing his belt in an instant. He reached for his matching long cap, and quickly slapped it on his head. He then ran to the other side of the room and jumped into his boots. Wasting no time, he rushed towards the door, being careful not to step on some of the shards of the pot that were scattered on the floor. He threw back the curtains that acted as his door and felt the breeze of the forest air flow through his hair. He immediately ran to the other side of the high balcony that met his front door and leaned over the edge to see the ground below as Navi came out of the door.

"What are you doing?" Navi yelled. "We can't dela-"

"Saria!" Link called out into the open. He waved a little bit, trying to catch someone's attention.

"Hey Link!" called a voice from the distance.

Saria was running towards Link's house, waving and smiling in delight.

Saria was always a pleasing sight. She brought hope and happiness to Link whenever he laid eyes upon her. She was a pretty girl, kind, sweet and about his age. She had neat, medium length hair in which she tended to wear a headband. The odd thing about her hair was that it was somewhat of a florescent green, to which Saria claimed was the natural colour. She always wore her favourite outfit: a dark green turtle neck with a light green sleeveless shirt on top, green shorts with a belt, and big, evergreen boots. The only things that weren't green on her were her big, sparkling blue eyes.

Link slid down the ladder that connected the forest floor with his balcony and ran towards his best friend. She opened her arms, and Link accepted the embracement. Saria gave Link a bit of a squeeze, and he squeezed her back. They let go, as Navi slowly caught up from behind. Saria's face lit up once she noticed that Navi stopped by Link's head and hovered impatiently.

"Hey, Tamil, you were right! Navi is Link's new guardian fairy!" she put her hands on her cheeks. "Wow! You finally have a fairy! That's great Link! Now you're a true Kokiri!"

Link was too overwhelmed with pride to say anything. Saria was filled with so much bliss it looked like she was about to cry.

"Well, well, well," Tamil giggled, emerging from behind Saria's head. "It looks like Navi, the fairy who vowed not to be a guardian of any Kokiri, has just been forced to be one!" She began to laugh.

"Shut up Tamil!" snapped Navi. "It's not like I could do anything about it! It's not like you've been asked to do anything for the Great Deku Tree, has it?"

Tamil ignored Navi as she continued to laugh, not seeing Link's guardian fairy glowing brighter and brighter in anger, which is what fairies tend to when their mad or frustrated. Link, never enjoying watching fights, tried to change the subject.

"Saria, I've been summoned by the Deku Tree!" he said confidently.

"I know!" Saria replied with a smile. "I'm sure you know it's quite an honour to see him, but I'm sure you could care less," she giggled. "Do you know where to go?"

Link blushed and scratched his head.

"Well…I've never really been there, honestly. I've never really been curious about it."

"Oh…" said Saria, looking a little disappointed. "I thought such things interested you."

Link shrugged. "Maybe it's just the fact that I can always see his canopy from my house."

Saria pointed towards a path on the other side of the small stream that flowed through the village. The stream was naturally the source of the Kokiri's water supply, but it was also a spot for games or relaxing swims.

"Just go through that path; it should lead right to the Deku Tree's Meadow. I'll wait for you here. You and Navi should get going; it wouldn't be that wise to keep the Deku Tree waiting."

"Sure thing. I'll see you in a bit."

Link and Navi proceeded towards the path that Saria pointed out.

"Good luck!" Saria called out as they sped away. Link ran across the dirt path, every so often checking if Navi was still close behind. She didn't seem to have any trouble keeping close to him, so Link figured he didn't have to worry. As he ran, Link noticed some of the other Kokiri whispering to each other. A lot of them he knew, but wasn't really friends with. He saw them all looking at him as they mumbled amongst themselves. They were probably noticing Link's new fairy. Perhaps Navi would help Link become a little more popular among the tribe. Link reached the stream, and hopped over some of the stones poking out of the water. He was slightly cautious, because he'd look rather silly if he was all wet when he talked to the Deku Tree. A few more carefully performed hops, and he was on the other end of the stream, and was just about to reach the passage when he stopped dead in his tracks. A familiar figure was leaning against the wall and was staring at him. His fairy hovering close by him, also fixing a gaze of its own. Mido got up from the wall and stood in the middle of the passage. He folded his arms as a malevolent smirk swept across his face.

Mido had somewhat long, blonde hair, and an unusually huge mouth. His clothes were ripped and tattered, but Link knew he made those tears on purpose just to make himself look tough. Even so, those freckles didn't make him that intimidating anyway.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. No-Fairy?" said Mido smugly.

Link rolled his eyes. "Please Mido, not now-"

Mido ignored him. "Eh? Whatzat? Is that…"

"Yes, Mido. It's a fairy, if you haven't realized," said Link, now realizing that he is now just as much of a Kokiri as Mido was.

"What! That can't be yours!" Mido growled. "There's no way you could've gotten a fairy! You're not a true Kokiri like the Great Mido!"

Link chuckled. The Great Mido? Is this what he was calling himself now? "It is, oh Great and Powerful Mido, believe it or not."

"I don't believe it…this isn't funny!" Mido snarled. He put his hands on his hips and tapped his foot impatiently.

Link shook his head. "I'm going to see the Great Deku Tree; I have been summoned. Maybe if you'd look where you're standing you can realize that you are in the way."

"You! See the Deku Tree! HA!" Mido snorted. "That's pretty good! I got to write that one down…you're funny Link!" He put his hands over his head, imitating a tree, most likely the Deku Tree. "Oh, ho ho! I am the Great Deku Tree!" Mido said with a deep voice. "I am going to summon Link, the stupid kid with no fairy to come to my aid! Why would I do such a thing? Because Link is _special_. Why would I summon him and not the Great Mido? Well, I'm just not going to tell!"

"Hey, he's not joking!" yelled Navi as she darted close Mido's face, which didn't budge.

"So what if he's serious? Why should we care?" growled Rotu, Mido's fairy as he aggressively shoved Navi away.

"Come on Mido…be reasonable," Link begged.

Mido thought for a minute, and then whispered to Rotu. They both chuckled and glared deviously at Link. He could only wonder what they were planning. Mido crossed his arms again.

"All right Mr. No-Fairy, I'll make you a deal," said Mido. Link was surprised he still called him Mr. No Fairy. "If you equip yourself with a sword and shield, I might just let you in!"

"What! That's ridiculous! Who do you think you are?" screamed Navi.

"Where am I supposed to find those?" asked Link, just as dumbfounded as Navi.

"I dunno! That's your problem Mr. No Fairy!" Mido yelled as he began to lift his head back in hysterics. Both Mido and Rotu were laughing their heads off. Link spun around and ran, while Navi followed close behind. He wanted to see Saria, and tell her everything that just happened.


	2. The Great Deku Tree

2

_The Great Deku Tree_

"You aren't serious are you?"

Link nodded. Saria cringed.

"Oh that bum! Why does he have to be so mean to everyone?"

"I don't know. What should we do?"

Saria scratched her head. Then, a wicked smile appeared on her face.

"Let's get you a sword and shield,"

"Are you crazy? Shields are bloody expensive, and you can't find swords anywhere!"

Saria smiled.

"Are you sure about the sword part?" said Saria as she began walking away. "Follow me,"

Link followed close behind Saria as she walked across from Link's house to her own.

"Why are we going to your house?"

"Oh, you'll see…"

Link was getting afraid that Saria had taken Mido's side and was about to pull a prank on him, but he followed anyway. They passed the boy weeding out her garden, possibly sent by Mido in order to impress her.

They entered her house. Link stopped in the middle of the room as Saria scrounged through some old odds and ends. Link looked around the room, observing the ribbons and decorations strewn across her home. He wished his house looked as nice as this. Saria's house was probably the best cared for in all of Kokiri Forest.

"Ah! Here it is!"

"What is it?"

Saria was holding a wooden case. She handed it to him.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Saria giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Open it, silly!"

Link blushed. He felt a lot like an idiot right there. He opened up the case and almost fainted when he saw what was inside.

A sword.

The blade was just big enough for a Kokiri to wield. It had a wooden handle, and a red jewel that seemed to be staring at him in a friendly fashion.

"…Saria, where did you-"

"I found it in the Lost Woods. It was just lying there. I don't know why, but I thought I'd keep it just in case I would need it one day. It seems now I'm not the one needing it,"

"I don't know how to thank you Sa-"

She put a finger on his lips.

"Just don't tell anyone I gave you that sword. Some things are best left unsaid. You can thank me that way. Hm…now to get you a shield…"

Link put the sword in its sheath, and strapped it onto his back with the strap provided in the box. Saria was again scrounging around her nooks and crannies. She then arose with a red rupee, which is worth about 20 regular rupees.

"Here's 20, but we need about 40 to buy a shield,"

"Guess we'd better start looking for loose change,"

Saria nodded and they both left her house.

Link and Saria began to look for another 20 by asking other Kokiri for money. By the time they asked everyone (except for Mido of course) they earned about 10 rupees.

"We're just going to have to look for some in the bushes,"

"I guess we have to," replied Link

"You two better hurry up, we can't keep the Deku Tree waiting," said Navi.

The two began scrounging in bushes, picking up regular rupees every so often. They talked a lot.

"So Link, are you enjoying having a fairy?"

"Oh yeah! It makes me feel great,"

Navi blushed.

"This might make Mido lay off a little over a period of time,"

"I hope it does. I've had it up to here with him,"

"Join the club,"

"What do you think the Deku Tree summoned me for?"

"I have no clue. Whatever it was he wouldn't tell me. He said it was too dangerous to let anyone know,"

"It must be really important then,"

"I would guess so…hey! Found one!"

She tossed him a regular rupee.

"Have you noticed the fireflies are glowing dim lately?" said Saria

"Yeah, what's up with that?"

"Usually, when the fireflies glow dim, that means that something bad is about to happen. If only I knew what it was, I might be able to do something about it,"

"Would this be something really bad?"

"I don't know. It could range from someone loosing something to someone dying,"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah,"

"Well I hope it's not someone dying,"

Saria looked up at Link, and she looked like she was about to cry.

"What's wrong?"

"I have a feeling someone _is_ going to die, Link,"

"What! Who!"

"I don't know. That's what I'm worried about. I fear it might even be you,"

Link's heart plummeted to the bottom of his stomach.

"No…y-you can't be serious,"

"The possibility is there Link. I'm not saying it is inevitable, but I just fear for what the Deku Tree asks from you,"

Link's heart plummeted even further. He never actually considered that seeing the Deku Tree might be…dangerous. Saria approached him, tears now streaming from her eyes. She put her hands on his shoulders and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"Promise me Link…promise me that you're going to be okay,"

Link hesitated. He had never seen Saria this sad before. Her lips were quivering.

"I'll be okay, Saria, I promise,"

Saria collapsed into his chest and burst into tears. Link just stood there in amazement on how emotional she was.

"I don't know what I would do if you died, Link" sobbed Saria, muffled in his chest.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you,"

"No, no, it's not your fault," said Saria as she lifted her head.

"It's just that you've been such a good friend to me,"

"What have I done? You always helped when Mido was bullying me. What have I done in return?"

"Link, have you ever seen me with anyone else besides you?"

Link froze. He actually couldn't recall one time when she wasn't with him.

"That's what you've done in return for me. No, I've protected you in return for what you've done for me: being my friend,"

Saria bent down and picked up one last rupee and handed it to Link.

"Let's go to the store,"

* * *

"_Father! You have to believe me! The prophecy is true!"_

"_Zelda, this is foolish. One dream isn't enough to convince me that he will actually attack us,"_

"_My prophecies have never been wrong Father!" scorned Zelda._

"_Name one,"_

_Zelda said nothing._

"_Now go back to your room child!"_

"_NO! Not until you've considered what I've said!"_

"_Zelda, I'm King. I have no time for little games,"_

"_THIS IS NO GAME!"_

"_One more word out of you and I'll send you out of here!"_

"_Blah blah blah blah blah!"_

"_I've warned you Zelda! Guards! Please escort the princess to her dorm!"_

_Two guards advanced on Zelda. She shoved them off._

"_I think I can find my own way thank YOU!"_

_Zelda stormed out of the throne room. She spun around at the end of the hall._

"_You just wait and see! Just wait until you see your own kingdom ablaze in dark flame how much of a game this is!"_

_Zelda slammed the door behind her.

* * *

_

"Certainly, Link. I'll get that shield for you,"

The shopkeeper pulled out a piece of bark that he claimed to be pulled right from the Deku Tree, therefore making sure it doesn't break. It had a unique red design painted on it, supposedly representing the Kokiri.

"That will be 40 rupees please"

Link forked over the 40 rupees that he and Saria collected. The shopkeeper carefully counted the money. Then looked up and grinned.

"It's been a pleasure doing business with you sir,"

Link and Saria nodded and stepped outside the store. Saria helped Link strap on his brand new Deku Shield.

"Oh man! The look on Mido's face is going to be priceless!"

"I'll come with you just to see that!"

They both laughed.

"Come on! Let's show that jerk what Mr. No Fairy can accomplish!"

"Finally!" exclaimed Navi.

Link and Saria hopped the stones on the stream, and saw Mido having a chat with Rotu. Once they were a few feet away from them. They noticed and got up to greet them.

"Aww…poor Mr. No Fairy. You give up? Ha-ha! A person like you can never see the Deku Tree! He should've summoned the great Mi-"

Mido's jaw dropped. He was looking at Link's new equipment.

"No…you couldn't have…"

Link and Saria tried not to crack up.

"That's not…but you couldn't…but where….GYAHHH!"

Link and Saria burst into laughter.

"Grrrrr! This isn't fair! I didn't expect you to actually do it!"

"Well I did Mido. I've completed my end of the bargain, now it's your turn. Please move,"

"NEVER!" Mido was beat red and looked like he was about to explode.

Saria whispered into Link's ear

"I've got an idea. Don't say anything okay?"

Saria slowly walked towards Mido fancy-like. Mido stopped looking at Link and gazed on her.

"Will you move for me, Mido?" said Saria in a soothing voice.

"Wha-?"

"Come on…be nice. I'll give you a treat,"

A dazed grin appeared on Mido.

"Okay," Mido moved out of the way and somewhat close to the stream. Saria followed. Mido turned around with a sly look on his face.

"Where's my reward?" asked Mido.

"Right here" said Saria, as she leaned closer and closer towards him. Then, suddenly, she pushed him into the water. Link was on the ground laughing as Saria stuck her tongue out at Mido, who was absolutely furious.

"You'll pay for this one Link! This is big time!" said Mido as he stomped away with Rotu following him.

Link and Saria gave each other a high-five.

"Oh man! That was rich! I can't believe you did that!"

"Sometimes acting can get you far,"

"Thanks for everything,"

"Hey, if you need help, just ask okay? I'll be happy to assist you,"

"I hate to break up this moment here guys" interrupted Navi. "But we have to get going,"

"Then I won't delay you two any longer. Link?"

"Yeah?"

"Come back in one piece okay?"

"Okay"

Saria gave Link a kiss on the cheek for good luck and walked away.

"Come on Navi! Let's see the Deku Tree!"

"Yippee…" sighed Navi.

Link and Navi began working their way down the pass. It started as a small tunnel, and then opened into a fissure. The path was snake-like, and the grass was less tended to than the grass he was used to in Kokiri Forest. He could see vines hanging above him from the rocky walls. One last right turn and the pass opened into a wide field: The Deku Tree's Meadow, and there, for the first time in his entire life, Link glanced upon the guardian spirit of the forest: The Great Deku Tree.


	3. The Curse

3

_The Curse_

Link couldn't believe how big this tree was. He was almost the size of the Kokiri Village! His massive canopy almost covered the whole meadow. He could see certain features on the trunk of the tree such as bumps that resembled eyebrows, a moustache, and lips. The features looked so real, he almost looked like a person. Link could only see his canopy from his house, but now he saw the guardian spirit in his full glory.

"Great Deku Tree!" exclaimed Navi. "I have brought you Link! Just as you requested!"

There was silence. Link didn't know what to expect.

LINK OF THE KOKIRI boomed the tree. Link jumped.

I HAVE SUMMOMED THOU HERE FOR AID

"Aid? You want me to aid you Great Deku Tree?"

LINK, I HAVE BEEN CURSED. I WANT THOU TO BREAK THIS CURSE WITH THY COURAGE AND STREGNTH…DOST THOU HAVE COURAGE ENOUGH TO UNDERTAKE THIS TASK?

Link didn't know what to say. He didn't even know how to break this curse the Deku Tree spoke of. He could only say what the Deku Tree wanted to hear.

"Yes Great Deku Tree. I have enough courage to do your bidding,"

THEN THOU MUST ENTER MY HEART AND BREAK THE CURSE…THERE IS A FOUL CREATURE LURKING INSIDE ME, AND THOU MUST DESTROY THE BEAST…I ENTREAT THEE…

The Deku Tree fell silent.

"Navi? What do we do?"

"I don't know…" Navi's glow went a little dimmer.

"He said we had to enter his heart,"

"Tree's don't have hearts though!"

"It might be a metaphor…"

Navi puzzled for a moment.

"Well, let's see. If a Kokiri's heart pumps blood and nutrients throughout the body, what would give the tree nutrients?"

"Hmm…Oh! The roots!"

"Yeah!"

"Ok, so we have to figure out how to get to the Deku Tree's roots,"

"Easier said than done Link,"

Link sighed. He looked around hopelessly. There was no possible way he could enter the Deku Tree.

"Wait,"

Just then, he spotted something sticking out the ground right next the Deku Tree. Without question, Link rushed towards it. As he got closer and closer, he wondered more and more of what it could possibly be. Once he got close enough, Link was puzzled.

"A slingshot?"

Navi caught up.

"Maybe you can use it for something?"

Link ripped the slingshot out from the ground. Looking at it curiously. He picked up a pebble, placed it in the elastic, stretched it back, and let go. The pebble flew into the air, and out of sight.

"Well, at least it works," said Link, "but how are we going to use this to get inside the Deku Tree?"

The second he finished saying that, there was a loud CRACK! Link looked down where he pulled out the slingshot. There was a crack in the ground, going across the hole where the slingshot was planted. CRACK! Another crevice. CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! Pretty much all of the ground around Link and Navi was crumbling. Terrified, Navi flew into Link's cap. Link didn't dare move. He looked up and saw one of the Deku Tree's leaves fall down from his canopy. It slowly glided by his face. Link tried to blow it away, but it was no use. It went down by his chest, his stomach, waist, thigh, knee, and shin. Link closed his eyes and braced himself. The leaf hit the ground.

CRRAAAAAASSSSSHHHHHH!

Link didn't know how far he fell. A few feet, or a thousand kilometres. All he knew is it just hurt when he hit bottom. It was pitch black. He couldn't see the light from the hole he just fell through. He made sure that he didn't loose anything. He had his sword, he had his shield, and the slingshot was still in his hand. Link breathed a sigh of relief. He rose to his feet.

"All right Navi, come on out. I can't see in here. I need your light…Navi?"

Link felt his cap; there was nothing there.

"Navi! Navi!"

No answer. Link began to panic again. Where was Navi? He looked around.

"NAVI!"

Just then, he could see a light blue glow heading towards him.

"Oh, Navi! There you are! How did you get all the way down there?"

All that came from Navi was a croak similar to a frog.

"Navi? Are you okay?"

Another croak. Link began to hear footsteps where Navi was coming from. When Navi was a few inches from him, she suddenly turned bright red, and lunged at him. Link didn't know what was wrong with Navi until she landed on him. That's when he realized that wasn't Navi at all. This thing had enough weight to send him to the ground. This wasn't a fairy he was staring at; this was the glowing eye of a horrible creature. Was this the beast the Deku Tree mentioned? It was about the same height as Link. It had two feet with talon-like claws. The glowing eye that was staring Link in the face was situated and was about the same size as its entire torso. It had a small mouth under the eye, and a little antenna like piece of flesh on the top of its "head". Link could see that this monster had an apatite for Kokiri flesh, so he made no hesitation to bring his feet under the belly of the creature and kicked it off, sending it flying a few feet.

The creature staggered to its feet, and snarled as it again took aim for Link and lunged. This time Link was ready, and dived out of the way just before the creature slammed him down again. A loud croak of frustration came from this creature as it turned around, with its eye burning an even hotter red. Link came to his senses and ripped out his sword and shield in a hurry. He brought his shield up to eye-level, and had his sword drawn back; ready to strike. The creature now saw that the Kokiri had weapons. It took a few strides to the left, then to the right, and then attacked. It went up a few feet, and was directly above him when Link brought up his shield up just in time for the creature to land on it. Link whipped his shield backward and stuck up his sword like a spike for the creature to fly into. When the creature hit, it was almost like the sword hit metal. The beast hit the ground virtually unharmed, turned around and seemed to snicker. Link, bewildered of the lack of damage, could only get ready for the monster's next attack. The monster snickered one more time and began to back up for a running start.

"LINK!"

Link turned around and saw the familiar light coming from his guardian fairy. The creature stopped in his tracks due to confusion.

"Navi!"

"Go for the eye! It's the only part not protected! The eye, Link! The eye!"

The beast flared up and began one more charge. Link was ready this time. This time, when the creature caught air, Link slammed it into the ground with his shield. Dazed, the creature did not get up. That was Link's chance. He bolted up to the temporarily motionless creature and aimed his sword at its big, bulging eye. He closed his eyes, and drove the blade forward. There was a slight hissing noise at first, then just an oozing sound. Link opened his eyes to see the disgusting remains of the beast. There was slime all over his sword and the ground. Link flicked some of the slime off of his sword and then, after a while, threw up once he caught the smell of the carcass.

Navi seemed quite happy though.

"Well, Link, it looks like we destroyed the creature that cursed the Deku Tree! We should be heading out now!"

Link stood up straight after he finished spewing.

"No," he said after wiping his mouth.

"What! Link, it looks pretty dead to me!"

"No…it's not that. I don't think this creature was great enough to curse something as powerful as the Deku Tree,"

Link looked around.

"I think there is something bigger in here…more powerful and dangerous,"

Navi stared at him blankly.

"Something…bigger?"

"Yes. I think it might be somewhat related to our friend here,"

Link issued a hand towards the bloody carcass.

"Well, this appears to be a baby Gohma," said Navi, appraising the corpse. "I've heard about them in stories, but…if this is a baby…then there has to be –"

"A mother," continued Link. "That is what has cursed the Deku Tree. That's what we have to destroy: the mother of this baby Gohma,"

"…but where would we find –"

"I saw where our friend was heading from. It might lead us to its mother,"

"Sounds crazy to me Link…but, then again…what other chances to we have?"

"I'll lead the way. You just give me light so I can see what lies ahead,"

The two began wandering down the tunnel, both oblivious of what was waiting for them on the other side.

* * *

_Saria was sitting at home, on her bed, reading a book. It had seemed like ages since she actually got time to herself lately to get into a good novel. There weren't many books in the forest, most of which were either written by the Kokiri themselves or were found beside dead outsiders in the Lost Woods. This particular book belonged to an outsider. It appeared to be his diary. She read the passages carefully._

_June 29th_

_I have been travelling for days now, exiled by the King for informing him of the King of Thieves' deceit. Being as stubborn as he is, he did not believe me. Apparently, besides me, the princess is the only one who truly believes in this theory. I can only hope that she is able to persuade her foolish father._

_June 30th_

_I now know that they are tracking me. The King of Thieves has ordered my demise for trying to blow his disguise. I have quickened my pace, and am heading into the Forbidden Forest for cover. I can only pray to the gods that his followers haven't spread to such an area._

_July 1st_

_They've found me. It's only a matter of minutes until they advance on me now as I write this. If anyone finds this diary, I am warning you: the Forbidden Forest has been invaded! THE FORBIDDEN FOREST HAS BEEN INVA-_

_It ended there._

_Saria screamed and dropped the book on the floor. Her home had been invaded? Why didn't she know? The last entry in the book was dated less than a week ago. There were no sightings of hostiles in the village. If the forest had been invaded, then the village should've been attacked by now! She had to warn Link. This wasn't normal. She rose up from her bed and rushed towards the door. She ran outside and headed straight for the Deku Tree. Not looking at the ground she was running on. She didn't see the small rock on the ground until it was too late. She tripped over it, slammed onto the ground head-first and drifted out of consciousness.

* * *

_

"I think this is the way…"

"Link, there is only one path,"

"I know…"

The two had been walking for about ten minutes now. Only Navi was lighting the way for Link. The walls of the tunnel didn't seem natural. They almost seemed like they had been…chewed. A tree shouldn't have its insides hollowed out like this. This creature seemed to be a lot similar to a parasite. Link was worried because if this creature could tear through the Deku Tree, who was made out of the same material as his shield, it could surely tear through Kokiri flesh. The tunnel seemed to grow darker and darker despite Navi's light showing the way. As they went along, the walls got more ridged, almost as if they had been more carelessly torn through. Water was dripping from the ceiling, but this wasn't just ordinary water, it seemed like more of organic liquid. It looked somewhat like saliva…what if it was! Link stopped suddenly.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to go any further,"

"Why?"

"I'm afraid that this creature is going to be too powerful for me to handle,"

"What!"

"Look at this tunnel Navi. I think this creature chewed its way through here,"

Navi now seemed to be looking around the tunnel.

"You really don't think-"

"I'm pretty sure that is the case. Trees aren't supposed to have tunnels like this. I think we should turn back,"

"We can't turn back now! Are you going to let the Deku Tree suffer?"

Link paused. Was it really worth turning around if the Deku Tree was to remain cursed? Then again, judging by what Link had determined of the power of his upcoming enemy, the same would happen if he didn't. It was really a matter of being dishonourable, fleeing and saving his own life, or sacrificing himself for the good of the spirit of the forest. What would Saria say if he ran? What would Mido think? Link would rather die than return to a world of hate towards him.

"Okay, we go forward! How much longer do you think it will be until we reach the Deku Tree's heart?"

"Link…"

Navi was shaking.

"What is it?"

Navi's light had just revealed an opening at the end of the tunnel. It was no more than a few feet from Link and her.

"You don't think…?"

"I'm pretty sure…"

Link couldn't help but stare at the opening. Was this where the mother of the previous creature lurked? There was only one path. Link swallowed his pride, and slowly crept towards the opening. Navi hesitated to follow for a moment, but then started sneaking forward. Link squinted and tried to see if he could see anything moving inside. It was too dark to see anything. He tried to make as little noise as possible. His heart was pounding against his chest as he edged closer and closer to the opening. He looked on the ground to see if he was about to step on anything, but failed because the floor was hidden beneath a layer of mist. He looked behind him to see where Navi was. He could see her, but was distracted by something else, behind him was the opening; he was through.

Link spun around as Navi's light unveiled the room. There was a thick layer of mist on the bottom, denser than what was in the tunnel before. There were four large stone pillars in the center of the large room, which looked like it was almost the size of the Deku Tree himself. He looked up at the ceiling, which was barley being touched by Navi's glow. Hundreds of roots were strewn across it, and an endless tangle. Link looked around the ceiling and stared in wonder. This was the heart of the Deku Tree, and he was standing in it like it was just another place he had been. However, something strange caught his eye. There was something in the centre of the roof that didn't seem natural. Almost like a disorder of the roots from what was shown by the faint light. As Link stared at this odd shape, he forgot more and more of what he was actually there to do. Just then, a slight rumbling was heard behind him. He twirled around and saw what was making the racket. The doorway in which Link had entered the room was slowly being covered by a slab of what seemed to be like clay slowly making its way down to the ground. With a clunk it covered the hole completely, and the room went slightly darker. Link was then startled by another noise. Rustling. It almost sounded like sandpaper rubbing together in a footstep pattern, and what horrified Link the most, was that there seemed to be some sort of a spotlight moving around the room, surveying the ground. Link couldn't tell what was causing it, but he could see where it was. It was on the ceiling, and it was moving. He could only draw out his sword and shield and be ready for anything. The spotlight was edging closer and closer to Link, and he could only look up to see if he could determine what was making it. The next thing he knew, he was under the spotlight's radiance. He squinted and looked up at it. He must have been seeing things, because he must have seen…a pupil? The light didn't budge, and continued to fix its gaze on him. Swiftly, it turned around and moved into the center of the chamber, stayed there for a moment, and then plummeted to the ground with a huge crash. That was when Link realized what this thing actually was.

This thing looked quite similar to the creature he defeated earlier, except ten times bigger and a thousand times more frightening. Its eye was so bright, it explained the spotlight effect. It had two huge legs that supported its massive body. These legs were plated with a hard exoskeleton that looked like menacing armour. Its claws were like massive razor-sharp knives that could rip a mountain to shreds. Above its bulging eye, it had two smaller claws that were similar to a lobster's. It also had a long, soft piece of tissue that seemed to be unprotected, but was tucked underneath its devastating body. It reared up on that tail-like ligament and made an ear piercing roar, enough to send Link flying back, but he kept his ground. It lifted its two front claws and a menacing and threatening pose. That was when Link was absolutely sure that he had met his enemy.

This was Queen Ghoma.


	4. Queen Gohma

4

_Queen Ghoma_

_He rode across the fields at a fantastic speed. With his horse hammering the ground with its hooves and the dust catching the wind behind him, he was certain to reach the castle soon. He grinned as he gained more speed, and looked over the horizon. He knew this land would be his one day. He was sure of it. As he continued to look over rolling hills, he began to make out two figures heading towards him. He squinted and tried to see if they were friend or foe. He stopped his horse almost instantly. He pulled out a small telescope from a pouch on the straddle of his horse. He put the lens up to his eye and stared through the instrument._

"_Ah, it seems my spies are here,"_

_The two figures appeared to be men. They were spies sent into the town to inform him of the king's plans. They caught up to him and both gave a quick bow._

"_The coast is clear my lord,"_

"_There are no plans against you,"_

"_Ah, very good, I'll advance then" he said._

_With that, he galloped away from his spies almost as quickly as they came to him. Now there was no stopping him. He looked behind him just to see the outline of the forbidden forest._

_Soon, he thought._

_Soon I will have that stone. You fool! You really thought you could protect it. Once you are dead, it will be mine, and you will see how much of a fraud I am!

* * *

_

Gohma slammed its sword-like claws back into the ground. Link raised his shield in defence. It charged at him, with the ground rumbling with every step, and its eye glowing brighter as it got closer. Link's feet were shaking in his boots, but he didn't dare move and leave himself vulnerable. Gohma was now inches from him, but Link was too frightened to do anything. Gohma's eye turned bright red, as it reared up on its tail with its massive arms…legs…whatever they were, raised high into the air, only to come slamming back down with one arm heading right for Link. He jumped out of the way just before the giant claw struck him. However, this was exactly what Gohma wanted him to do. With its other arm free, it raised it to the side and then flung it with all its might at Link. This time, it made full contact. Link flew about ten feet and went slamming into one of the four massive pillars, and as he fell to the ground, and took bits of that pillar with him.

Link struggled to get up despite the throbbing pain in the back of his head. He staggered to his feet, luckily still holding his weapons. He opened his eyes. Everything was blurry. All he could see was the wicked yellow glow of Gohma's eye, and the light blue radiance of Navi. Gohma again reared up and let out a roar of triumph.

"Oh, for crying out loud!" complained Navi. She flew up to him.

"Snap out of it, Link!"

"I…I can't see!"

"Why didn't you say so?"

Navi flew around Link's eyes and sprinkled a little bit of fairy dust on them. In an instant, Link's eyes were as good as new, and he was ready to fight again. He jogged on the spot for a second, and then got into his ready position. Gohma came down on her claws again, and let out a snicker, similar to the first creature except much deeper, as if to say that his attempts to defeat it were humorous. It charged again at Link, who was ready for anything now. Gohma was in front of him again, and drew one of its arms back to the side for another horizontal blow, but this time Link was ready. Gohma swung, and Link back-flipped over its flying sword-like claw. When Link looked up at Gohma's menacing figure, it had already drawn back its other arm for a vertical strike. It let out a screeching roar as it thrashed its arm downward. Alarmed, Link quickly rolled out of the way. Gohma's massive claw slammed into the ground, and appeared to be stuck. Surprised, Gohma madly tried to yank it free, but it didn't budge. Now was Link's chance. He ran behind Gohma, and leapt onto its back. Gohma now realized where Link was, and tried swinging its arm at him, but failed. Its arms were so covered in natural armour, it couldn't bend it all the way, and it couldn't fling its torso about because its other arm was jammed in the ground.

"Link!" cried Navi.

"What do I do!"

"It's eye! It's just like the fight with the baby!"

Of course! It's eye! Link was overwhelmed with confidence now. He crawled up Gohma's back and stood up, with Gohma roaring fiercely, while brutally trying to wrench its claw free from the clenching soil. Link quickly strapped his shield on his back and clenched his sword in both his hands. He drew back the blade.

"You've cursed your last soul!" screamed Link as he thrashed the Kokiri Sword downward.

Gohma let out a holler of pain as threw back it entire body, successfully throwing off Link with a thud, and finally jerking its claw free. Link got up from the ground, staggered a bit, and then put his hands on his knees to catch his breath. He slowly raised his head, expecting to see Gohma's corpse, but that is not what he saw. Gohma was stumbling around, seeming to be suffering unbearable pain. When Link took a closer look, he realized he did not hit Gohma directly in the eye, but hit its eyelid instead. Large drops of blood dripped from its eye, making the illusion of tears of blood. They dropped onto the ground, making small splashes. Gohma stopped staggering and just stared at Link with unlimited fury. It let out a screech of wrath and, surprisingly, turned the other way. It headed towards one of the pillars. Link was confused.

"Why is it running away from me?"

Navi was silent, obviously as confused as he was. Gohma reached one of the pillars, but didn't stop there. It placed one claw on the rocky surface, then the other, and then began climbing up the stony column.

"What is it doing?" asked Link urgently.

"Oh, no! It better not do what I think it's about to do!"

Gohma had now scaled the pillar, and was now walking on the ceiling. Its eye had turned back into a searchlight again and was making the same sandpaper noise. It made its way to the middle of the room, and paused for a moment, almost like it was conjuring something. Suddenly, its spotlight-eye turned into a malevolent red colour, as it let its fleshy "tail" hang towards the ground.

"No! It's just like in the stories!"

"What are you talking about?"

Gohma started moaning as a lump began to make its way down its "tail".

"What is that!"

"Oh…no…"

As the lump edged closer and closer to the end of the appendage, Link wondered more and more what was in store for him now. When it reached the end, the lump came out of the long tube and landed on the floor. It appeared to be somewhat like a whitish ball with red veins all over it. It looked like it was breathing to some extent.

"Link! You have to destroy it!"

"What is it?"

"That's an egg! If you don't break the shell soon, a new baby will hatch!"

Hearing this, Link darted towards the egg. When he got closer, he believed Navi more. Now he could examine the disgusting thing more easily. Indeed, he could see an eye staring at him behind the fairly transparent shell. Link didn't want to face any more of those creatures. It looked like it was thrashing around, trying to break free.

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Link as he severed right through the orb, instantly killing the organism inside. The leftovers of the shell suddenly started smoking and sizzling, until they disappeared. All that was left was the bloody fetus. Link gagged at the hideous smell. His sword was covered in a thick slime that was inside the egg. He flicked most of it off before lifting his head to Gohma. It was so infuriated it looked like it was about to explode. It once again took the position it took before when it laid the first egg. Link panicked.

"Navi! I've got to stop it!"

"Um…uh…the slingshot! Use the slingshot!"

Link ripped out the slingshot he had in his pouch. He looked around for a good rock. There were none to be found unfortunately.

"Hurry!" yelled Navi. Gohma was about to finish making the second egg. Link looked at the bloody corpse of the embryo beside him. A bit of its talon-like claw seemed to be dangling from its leg by a thread. Link thought for a moment, and then held his breath as he reached down and quickly yanked it off and placed it in the slingshot's elastic. He aimed directly at Gohma's pulsing red eye and drew back. Link prayed to the gods that it would hit, closed his eyes, and let go.

He waited for something…anything; a noise, a holler, or even a pat on the back, just anything to make him open his eyes, but nothing came. He had to open his eyes by himself. He made an effort and then lifted his eyelids. He saw nothing in front of him, so he looked up to where he thought Gohma was, but was startled by something else. A huge mass was plummeting to the ground and was about to land on him. Link flinched and bolted out of the way just as Gohma hit the ground. He spun around, thinking that it was going to attack him, but saw a different sight. Gohma was just laying there; its eye was spinning around madly, and had a light blue colour somewhat similar to Navi. Its left leg was twitching. It seemed like his shot was accurate. This was probably his last chance. He had to attack now. Link charged at Gohma, with his sword pointed forward. He sprinted towards Gohma's dazed body. When he was about two feet away from it, he jumped into the air, sword clenched in two hands, ripped through its bulging eye, and landed beside it. Gohma reared and let out a high pitched shriek of unendurable pain. Bright red blood spurted from the gash in its eyeball, and landed on the floor, walls, ceiling, and on top of Link. Gohma continued screaming and stumbling in absolute agony. Link took a few steps back so Gohma didn't run into him. One more ear-piercing scream, and Queen Gohma, the one who had cursed the Deku Tree, fell to the ground, dead.

* * *

_Saria slowly regained consciousness, and opened her eyes. Everything was a giant blur. She rubbed her eyes, and tried seeing again. Things seemed a little clearer now. Saria swayed as she got up to her feet. She grabbed the back of her head due to the throbbing pain. She just stood there for a while, waiting for her eyes to focus and her memory to come back to her. Her eyes came back, but her memory didn't. She vaguely remembered reading a diary, but couldn't remember what it said, and she remembered there was something important written in there. She gave up and looked at the fireflies. Her jaw dropped. The fireflies were so dim that they could barely be seen; someone had died._

"_By the gods…"_

_Saria ran as fast as she could towards the Deku Tree's meadow._


	5. The Death of a God

5

_The Death of a God_

Link couldn't believe what he had just done. He had actually carried out the Deku Tree's wishes. He had fulfilled what he though he would never do. He did not expect this to happen, but there it was right in front of him. Gohma was dead and its blood was now oozing out, making a giant puddle of bright red blood. Link had broken the curse on the Deku Tree! He was a hero! He couldn't wait until he told Saria.

"Wow," Link breathed.

"Yeah," said Navi, also catching her breath.

"I can't believe I survived that,"

"Hey, you were pretty cool back there. You did well,"

"I wouldn't have done it without you,"

"Aww, really?"

"Yeah. When I was blinded, you helped me heal. You pointed out what Gohma's weak point was. You let me know that that orb was an egg,"

"Ok, you're welcome. Now how are we going to get out of here?"

Link hadn't thought of that yet.

"Uh oh. Don't tell me the way is still shut,"

Navi looked where they came in.

"Yup,"

"How are we going to get out?!"

The very split second Link finished that sentence, a ringing noise was heard behind them, and the whole room was lit by a blue glow that didn't seem to be coming from Navi. They both turned around to see a blue light shining from the ground in the centre of the room.

"What the…?"

The light was almost hypnotic. It seemed as if it was beckoning Link and Navi towards it, almost as if he was destined to step into it.

"What should we do?"

"Maybe you should follow your gut," suggested Navi.

"Hmm. Well, what other options so we have?" said Link as he pointed towards the blocked passageway.

"I guess we'll have to take the chance," said Navi as she glided towards him, and stopping less than an inch away from Link's face. This was the first time Link could see her eyes amidst her blinding glow. She stared right back at him with her apparent huge eyes. Her irises had an odd reddish colour.

"Um, Link…I have to tell you something," said Navi as her eyes turned away guiltily.

"What is it?"

Navi took a deep sigh.

"I'm sorry for not believing in you. I didn't understand how much potential you have. You changed my view on you back there. I thought we were both dead. The second I saw Gohma show itself, I thought I had taken my last few breaths. I'm sorry for being rude to you. I wish I can make it up to you somehow,"

Link was speechless. He knew that Navi had been rather rude to him a few times, but he never would have guessed that she was so deep with her emotions, not to mention very apologetic. Link looked at Navi, and saw her real figure through the burning glow. Her body was much like a Kokiri, or, for what he heard, the Deku Tree referred to as a human form. Seeing this, he thought of Navi more like a real person, as opposed to a creature similar to a firefly. Navi seemed to notice his confusion.

"Look, let's just forget this," she said as she flew away quickly, veiling herself in her radiance once again.

"No…it's okay Navi. I forgive you. It's only in your nature. You didn't want to be a guardian. Just consider this your reward. Okay?"

Navi paused.

"Okay," she replied.

Without a word, they began to advance towards the spellbinding light. When they got a certain distance, Link had to shield his eyes with the back of his arm. Link was very close to it now, and hesitated to go further.

"We can't stop now Link. There is no other option,"

"Okay,"

Link swallowed his pride and continued to progress towards the welcoming glow. One more step and Link would be inside it. He lifted his foot and held it there for a moment. He bit his lip and shut his eyes as he slammed his foot to the ground. He expected something drastic to happen, but none such thing occurred. He opened his eyes. Indeed his foot was inside it, but nothing was happening. He took his other foot at brought it into the light. Again, nothing. Link sighed and brought his hand to his forehead in frustration.

"What do we do now?"

"I…I don't know…" said Navi, again close enough so that Link could see her figure. Link looked around the room. Nothing seemed to be changing. He stared a Gohma's corpse. Its blood had now spread to almost half the room. Link was surprised that it carried so much. Link stared at the blood. There was something odd about it. It was moving it an odd sort of way. There were ripples flowing through it, but it was like they were coming out in pulses. They were moving away from where Link was. The ripples got bigger and bigger and bigger. The ground was shaking now.

"What is going on?"

"I don't know!"

The ground was shaking violently in the same pulse-like fashion. The blood was flowing in small waves. Gohma's body was rocking slightly. The light around Link grew brighter and seemed to be drawing in energy. Link realised there was something big about to happen. He took action.

"Navi! Get down now!"

Navi immediately flew down low as Link crouched and covered his head. All of a sudden, the noise and shaking stopped. Confused, Link stood up again. He squinted around the room.

"What was that all about?"

The second Link finished saying that, he was knocked off his feet. The light had absorbed a lot of power, and had let it go in a final quaking pulse of pure energy. The four pillars were shattered by this power and Gohma's carcass was blown to bits. All of the blood was swept off the floor and splattered onto the wall, which was beginning to give way as well.

"The room is collapsing!" panicked Navi.

Link was about to respond when he suddenly was lifted off of the ground. He looked around him. The light was now shining up towards the crumbling ceiling in a giant pillar of energy. Link was flying up this pillar at an incredible speed. Navi was traveling upwards as well. The thing that frightened Link the most is that he didn't think he was going to stop at the ceiling, unless the ceiling itself halted him. He only flew faster as the roof got closer. Chunks of rock and dirt were flying past him. He was going to hit the roof. He braced himself just before he was going to hit it by shutting his eyes and shielding his face with his arms.

He waited to make contact, but felt nothing. He opened his eyes. He was flying through the ground. He saw dirt and rocks flying past him, but he felt nothing on top of his head, so he looked up. Daylight! The energy must have cut through a tunnel for Link and Navi to escape in. It seemed like days since Link saw daylight. The warmth of the sun was now hitting him, and the delightful smells of the forest filled his nostrils. He was forgetting the gloomy atmosphere of inside the Deku Tree, and memories of the forest were coming back to him.

The light almost blinded him when he reached the end of the tunnel, yet he did not close his eyes for he was so blissful. He was slowly dropped back down to the soft, grassy field of the Deku Tree's Meadow. Link almost laughed when he felt the soft ground again. The light disappeared, as well as the hole. Link was sitting down, trying to gather his thoughts, when he felt a slight rumbling below him.

"Looks like the room where we fought Gohma is gone now," said Navi.

"It's a good thing we took that chance, or we would've been dead,"

"Well, I'm just glad this is all over,"

"Join the club…but, you'll have to admit, it was kind of fun,"

Navi seemed shocked, but then thought for a moment.

"…yeah…yes I guess it was a little entertaining,"

"Nothing like a good challenge," laughed Link.

The two laughed for a while. As if they were already the best of friends. After a few minutes of amusement, they sat there and talked for a while, about nothing in particular. Just random things. What life was like before Navi became Link's guardian. Link's stories of different events that had happened in the forest. They virtually forgot that the Deku Tree was right beside them.

"Link! Look!"

Link turned around and saw a familiar sight. There was Saria running towards him. Tears were streaming from her eyes. They weren't tears of hurt, but of relief. Link leapt to his feet. Navi fluttered back up to the usual spot by Link's head. When Saria caught up to them, she embraced Link so tightly that she almost cracked his ribs.

"Oh, thank the Fires of Din you're alive!" sobbed Saria.

"I promised I was going to be okay, and I always keep my promises,"

Saria let go and wiped some of the tears from her cheeks. She had a modest grin of her face, but suddenly, her expression transformed into worry.

"Link, someone has died a few moments ago,"

"Someone's dead?"

Saria nodded.

"The fireflies don't lie. Do you know anything of this?"

Just before Link was about to reply, "No", he thought for a moment. Then it hit him.

"It wasn't someone that died, but some_thing._ Queen Gohma died today,"

"Queen Gohma? In this forest? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I'm the one who defeated it. It cursed the Deku Tree. That's why he summoned me,"

"From what I've heard about Queen Gohma, it thrived in the desert far out west. I don't know how it would get all the way over here. Wait, did you say it cursed the Deku Tree?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Link, Queen Gohma isn't…I mean…wasn't the type of creature that is known to curse other living things,"

"But the Deku Tree said that it was what had cursed him!"

NO, LINK…I NEVER SAID THE CREATURE CURSED ME 

Link, Saria, and Navi all spun around when they heard the Deku Tree Speak.

"Yes, you did! You told me that the creature had cursed you! I remember!"

INDEED…I DID TELL THEE THAT I WAS CURSED…BUT I DID NOT SAY THAT IT WAS THE CREATURE ITSELF THAT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE CURSE…I MERELY SAID THAT I WAS CURSED AND WANTED YOU TO DESTROY IT 

Link considered what the Deku Tree just said. He looked at Saria, who was looking at him in an "I told you so," look.

NOW THAT THY UNDERSTANDS WHAT HAS BEEN TOLD TO THEE…I MUST SPEAK ONE LAST TIME… 

One last time?

THE TRUE SOURCE OF THE CURSE CAN NOT BE DESCRIBED ENTIRELY BY WORDS…A WICKED MAN FROM THE DESERT CAST THIS DREADFUL CURSE UPON ME… 

"A wicked man from the desert?" questioned Saria.

THOU SPEAKS THE TRUTH…SARIA…THE MAN IS SO EVIL…I DARE NOT SPEAK HIS NAME…HE WANTED THE SACRED STONE OF THE FOREST…BUT I REFUSED TO GIVE IT TO HIM…SO HE USED HIS POWERS TO LAY THIS CURSE ON ME…ALTHOUGH THY EFFORTS TO BREAK THE CURSE WERE SUCCESSFUL…LINK…I WAS DOOMED BEFORE THOU EVEN STARTED…YES…I WILL PASS AWAY SOON…BUT DO NOT GRIEVE FOR ME… 

"What!?" screamed Link, Navi and Saria simultaneously.

I KNOW THAT THIS COMES AS A SHOCK TO THEE…BUT THERE ARE OTHER MATTERS THAT LINK MUST ATTEND TO…LINK…THOU MUST TRAVEL TO HYRULE CASTLE…THERE THY SHALL SURELY MEET THE PRINCESS OF DESTINY…THERE SHE WILL EXPLAIN EVERYTHING…NAVI…THOU MUST AID LINK IN HIS QUEST…THIS IS HYRULE'S FINAL HOPE 

The Deku Tree began to sound weak.

I…ENTREAT…THEE…NAVI………GOOD…BYE… 

Before the three could say anything, all of their jaws dropped when they saw what happened next. Hundreds of leaves began to fall from the Deku Tree's canopy. It was like a rain shower of his glory. Just before anyone knew what was happening, the Deku Tree's bark began to shift and twist in and upward motion and made long, groaning noises. The bark slowly got darker, and darker, and darker, until it was almost black. That's when the shifting of the bark and groaning stopped. That's when it got cold. Very cold.

The leaves continued to fall, as Saria, Link, and Navi continued to watch in disbelief. They couldn't believe what they just saw. They had witnessed what all Kokiri had thought to be impossible.

The Great Deku Tree was dead.


	6. The Road to Destiny

6

_The Road to Destiny_

All they could do is sit there and stare. None of them said a word for what seemed like hours. The Deku Tree, once symbolizing wisdom, power, and the keeping of peace, now symbolized fear, death, and despair. Link couldn't believe what he was looking at. This was what he had tried to save. He thought he was successful, but now that he saw the Deku Tree like this, he couldn't have been any more of a failure. He should've never accepted the Deku Tree's wish. He could've just turned around and left at that very moment, and he wouldn't have gotten involved in this at all. He wished that the Deku Tree had summoned someone else. Why did he choose him? Of all people? Now he was going to be to blame for the Deku Tree's demise. It was outrageous that Link was going to have to endure such humiliation. Link was the first of them to stand up.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm off to the forest to endure scorn from the Kokiri,"

"It's not your fault Link," said Saria weakly, as she stood up as well and faced him.

"Yes it is. The Deku Tree wanted me to break his curse and I failed,"

Saria shook her head.

"The Deku Tree said that your courageous attempts to break the curse were successful. The reason he wanted you to destroy Gohma was probably a test to prove your worth. When you passed his test, he told you to go to Hyrule Castle, and I suggest you should actually prepare for that,"

Link only stared at Saria. She did have a good point, and he did remember the Deku Tree saying that he was doomed before he even started. The only thing that confused him was that it seemed that Saria knew of this Hyrule Castle quite well.

"What is Hyrule Castle?"

"Do you know what a castle is?"

"No…"

"I guess you'll see when you get there. Hyrule Castle is located northwest of the forest,"

"It's outside of the forest! Saria, you and I both know that if a Kokiri leaves the forest he or she will-"

"Die, I know. That is what the Deku Tree has always taught us, but it isn't true,"

"What? He lied?"

Saria nodded.

"He didn't lie in a bad way, it was only for our protection, and it isn't entirely false. It isn't like the way he said, which is the second the Kokiri steps out of the forest boundaries, they will simply drop dead. He wanted to prevent us from leaving the forest because the world outside is much too different from here, and a Kokiri will be defenceless there, making it dangerous,"

"I see…I guess your right, but that doesn't mean I'll still be to blame by everyone else,"

"True, but I'll try to clear everything up,"

"Thanks. So, do we get ready to head to Hyrule Castle right away then?"

"Oh, no. It's much too early to begin thinking about that. You're exhausted. I think you should wait at least a day. Besides, you're filthy. You can stay at my house and have a bath,"

"Sounds good," said Link, feeling a little better. They began to walk back towards Kokiri Village, but noticed that both Navi and Tamil weren't with them. They turned around and sure enough, there they were, in the same spot.

"Are you two coming along?" asked Link.

"We're going to stay here for a while. You two go ahead," said Tamil.

Hearing this, Link and Saria turned around once again and headed through the pass, but they couldn't help but look back one last time to what used to be the Great Deku Tree.

* * *

"_Well, I wouldn't blame your father for not believing you…"_

"_I know it's true though! Impa, you know of the threat that he poses to us!"_

"_I'm not saying that I don't believe you myself, it's just that your father has been looking forward to this for a long time, and can be obstinate sometimes when it comes to events like this. Please try to understand,"_

_Zelda's anger flared up._

"_I'm not stupid! I know he's been looking forward to it! I just need to try and move around his stubbornness and convince him to sign off the alliance!"_

"_That's easier said than done, child. I don't think you should get involved in this. Let me handle it, okay?"_

"_Okay…" said Zelda sternly as she crossed her arms. Impa turned around and left the room, leaving Zelda behind, who now turned around herself, and looked out the window. Impa was worried though, for she knew that she didn't have the slightest chance of persuading the king.

* * *

_

"There's the bath and some towels,"

Link and Saria were now in her house. Link couldn't wait to jump in the tub, and get rid of some of the stress that he had within him.

"I'll give you some privacy. I'll be outside if you need me,"

With that, Saria was gone. Now that Link was alone, he filled the tub up with piping hot water, took off his clothes and hopped in. He quickly washed the slime, blood, and dirt from his body and hair. It felt so good to be clean again. Once he was clean, he just sat in the tub for a while, and stared at the ceiling. He realised the last time he had been in Saria's house was before he even received his sword. It seemed like weeks, but it had only been the same day since he had been here. Now he felt a little more mature since his last visit. Maybe seeing so much death in one day might have hardened his spirit. The only thing that worried him was that he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He sat up in the tub. If things continued like this in the future, what would it do to him? He was afraid if things persisted, he would be destroyed internally. He unplugged the drain and watched the water shrink away. He didn't know it, but he might have pictured the water as his sanity. He slowly got out of the tub, and dried himself off with one of the towels Saria pointed out for him. He then wrapped the towel around his waist.

"Okay, Saria! You can come in now!"

Sure enough, Saria came through the doorway.

"Finished?"

"Yeah,"

Saria gave Link a friendly smile, and then picked up his blood-stained clothes.

"You keep that towel on. I'm going to clean your clothes and weapons,"

Link sat on a chair on the far side of the room. Saria began separating his weapons from his clothes, and washed each article in the sink, one at a time. Link couldn't help but wonder.

"Saria, how did you know about Queen Gohma?"

Saria stopped what she was doing and turned to face him. She looked she was in pain.

"Why do you want to know that?" she said faintly. Link was a little confused.

"Just out of curiosity,"

Saria turned around.

"Then I guess there is no real reason for me to tell you, is there?"

"What's gotten into you?"

Saria turned back to him uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry Link. It's just…"

"What?"

"Well, how I know about Gohma is something I don't like to talk about,"

"Oh. Okay you don't have to tell me,"

"No, I think you should know,"

Link leaned forward in his seat as Saria began.

"Well, you know how the Deku Tree said that that man cursed him?"

"Yeah…"

"I saw him…"

"What!"

"I saw that man curse the Deku Tree. It was horrible,"

Saria covered her eyes with one hand, trying to hide her tears.

"What did he look like?"

"I can't remember. I could barely look at him. He was so frightening. He used his dark magic to curse the Deku Tree, and I saw him let Queen Gohma inside him,"

"I'm sorry you had to see that,"

"It's not that that I'm upset about,"

"What is it?"

"I'm upset because the reason that that terrible man cursed him because he wanted something. The Deku Tree didn't have it though. There was nothing he could do,"

Saria issued a finger towards her chest.

"I have it…"

"You? What is it?"

Saria was still trying to hold in her tears as she walked over to her bed; she had cried in front of Link too many times today. She bent down and pulled out a chest from underneath. It was lined with jewels and gold. Link could only assume that it was something really valuable. Saria flipped the latches and slowly lifted the lid. A blinding green light lit the entire room. Link squinted for a moment, before the light seemingly calmed down and returned the room to its normal state. That's when Saria pulled out an object from the chest. Link blinked a few times and got his eye sight back. He stared at the object Saria was showing him. It must have been the most beautiful object he had ever seen, because he had never seen anything like this before. It was almost like a green rupee, but much different in many other ways. It was a green coloured jewel, which was still radiating a little. It had a spherical shape somewhat, and was wrapped in a gold design, almost like a holder for it. It was about as big as Link's open hand. Link was too hypnotised by this jewel to say anything to Saria.

"I think you should have it," said Saria.

"Why?" replied Link, finally looking up from the stone.

"I…I just have a feeling that it will help you on your journey. Seeing that that man wanted it so much, it must have some spiritual value,"

Saria handed Link the stone. It was surprisingly light, and as he held it, he felt even stronger for a second. The then put it aside, not only because he didn't have a pocket to put it in, but also to not get overwhelmed. Saria then smiled and then turned back to the sink, where she continued to wash his things, as Link also continued to sit in his chair and wait. All he could do is watch Saria clean his things. She started off with his clothes. His boots were no problem, but she seemed to have difficulty with his tunic. Nevertheless, she got the job done. She then moved on to his equipment. She rinsed off his shield, to keep the wood intact. The sword didn't look like that much of a problem either. Once everything was done, she hung up his clothes on the wall to dry, and put his equipment on the table.

Saria walked over to the door and leaned against the wall. The evening light shone on her face. Something seemed to be troubling her.

"What's wrong?"

Saria looked at the ground and kicked it gently.

"I'm going to miss you,"

Link expected this.

"Well, I don't think I'll be gone that long. How hard could it be to find Hyrule Castle?"

Saria turned to Link.

"I don't think you're going away just to find the castle. I think you are going there because there is something important you need to do. Something that will affect the entire world. The Deku Tree said that it is Hyrule's final hope,"

Link couldn't argue with that. It is true that the Deku Tree said that, but he didn't take it seriously. What could he do to affect the entire world?

"What do you think I have to do?"

Saria shrugged.

"I can't answer that,"

Link nodded in disappointment. He wanted to keep the conversation going to pass the time while his clothes dried, but couldn't think of anything else to say. He looked up at Saria. Her face seemed to be shining in the evening light. She was looking at him as well.

"What?" she asked in confusion.

"You look good,"

She giggled.

"Well that's something I haven't heard you say before. What's up?"

"Nothing. I'm just saying you look good,"

"Okay, thanks," she laughed as she turned back towards the door.

Now Link fell dead silent. He couldn't believe he just said that. He decided to keep quiet and not say anything stupid. He lay back in his chair, but continued to stare at Saria, not only because he had looked around her house enough, but he felt that she was going to say something. Indeed, she was looking at the ground, thinking of something, for what Link could see. She was rapping her fingers on the wall, making it a little more obvious.

"What's on your mind?" asked Link finally.

Saria sighed.

"I don't think I've done enough for you,"

"What do you mean?"

Saria walked back into the room. With one hand clasped around her belt buckle, she walked a little slow at first, but then she sped up slightly, as if she was nervous at first. She sat in a chair opposite Link, her eyes glaring at him.

"You've gone through so much already. Now that you're going to undergo so many new trials, I'm afraid I will feel guilty in the long run. Do you know what I'm saying?"

Link didn't believe what he was hearing. She'd helped him a lot. Why was she so worried that her aid was inadequate?

"I don't understand," he replied. "You've helped me more than you should have,"

Saria gave him a puzzled look.

"Like what?"

Link brainstormed.

"Well…um…what about the time when you helped me get past Mido today?"

Saria grinned and shook her head.

"That's not significant to what you're about to endure,"

Link looked over to the table beside him. He glanced upon the green stone that she just gave to him. He picked it up and showed it to her.

"This," he began. "This is something that will help me on my quest! You said so!"

Saria's eyes widened.

"This is something that may be even key to my success!" said Link, raising his voice. "If it wasn't for your support, I probably would be dead! I wouldn't be here!"

Saria's face continued to increase with confusion and shock.

"What do you mean you'd be dead?" she asked shakily.

"When I was fighting Gohma, something motivated me," said Link, trying to contain his anger. "It wasn't the Deku Tree's life, not my reputation, not what Mido would think, not what anyone else would think, not even the sake of the world! It was you, Saria. I did it for you!"

It didn't look like Saria's eyes could get any wider.

"W…what? Why?"

"For everything you've done for me!" bellowed Link. "It doesn't look like you've even considered every little thing you've done for me! Every little thing can add up, and they are worth twice as much because you are the only one who does them!"

Saria's lip was quivering. Link finished off his lecture.

"Don't you dare tell me that you haven't helped me…" he growled.

Saria covered her face with her hands and burst into tears. Link couldn't believe what he had just done. He had let out all of his rage out on Saria and now he felt sick to his stomach. What was she going to say?

"Saria, look, just forget all that. Just forget everything I said okay? I'm sorry…"

"No…" wept Saria as she slowly lifted her head from her tear-covered hands. "You're right. I know you're right,"

Link didn't say anything as she wiped the tears from her eyes. He spoke when she was finished.

"I didn't mean to raise my voice like that. I just got carried away. That's all,"

Saria was still sobbing a little.

"You just scared me. It was almost like you are a changed person. I'm not sure in what way though. I can tell because your attitude towards me has been a little weird lately. I mean, you've been a little rude, and you've just burst out in front of me, but then again, you've been kind, understanding, empathetic and apologetic. For what I can tell, you're either beginning to hate me, or you're starting to fall in love with me,"

"What!" Link said alarmingly, as he almost stood up out of his chair. Where did this come from? All of a sudden Saria apparently changed the subject to this?

"I think that is the situation, Link. Whether it is love, or hate, our relationship is no longer in the state of friendship. It is now only a matter of choice on whether we want us to be either more or less of friends. Of those two, you are going to have to make a decision. You have to decide if you want to hate me, or if you want to love me,"

"What are you talking about? I don't love you!"

"Then do you hate me?"

"No! I'm neither of those! I'm still just your friend! Nothing more or less!"

"Are you sure?"

Link gave Saria a stern look.

"Positive,"

Saria crossed her arms.

"What makes you so positive?"

"I know how I feel,"

Saria grinned.

"Do you now?"

Saria slowly got up out of her chair. She strode over to the doorway once again, but this time went all the way out, except her hand, which was clasped on the side of the door. She leaned back in.

"I'm going to give you time to think, and just to give you some ground to stand on, I'd prefer that you'd love me, Link,"

With that, she was gone. Link couldn't even move. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Was he really falling in love with Saria, or was he really beginning to hate her? His head began to hurt. He was thinking too much. He tried to relax. He didn't feel any feelings of anger and hate towards her, which only made him feel worse. That meant that he might actually fall in love with her. There were quite a few signs from that side of the story as well. He had been very quick to apologize to her, and he complimented on her looks just now.

He decided not to get too hasty with this. He needed more time to think. He leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling. Before he knew it, he fell asleep.


	7. Hyrule Beckons

**7**

_Hyrule Beckons_

"Are we going now?"

"Yep, soon. I just have to load this last crate. Just a few more minutes, Malon, be patient…"

Malon walked away from her father, Talon, to go play with the horses. It was pretty hot today on Lon Lon Ranch. Yet Malon enjoyed the heat, for it filled her with energy unlike most people. She approached the open gate leading to the large field where the horses could run free. One of the horses was out of the fenced range, and was doing laps around the perimeter. Usually Talon was the one who tamed the horses, so Malon decided not to do anything about it. Malon walked through the gates and entered the meadow. She put two of her fingers into he mouth and whistled. A tiny neigh was heard and a small pony came galloping towards her. It slowed down into a trot and rubbed its head on Malon, who hugged it.

"Hello, Epona! Are you hungry?"

Epona let out another neigh as Malon reached into her pocket and pulled out a carrot. She tossed it towards her and Epona gobbled it down in mid-air. Malon hopped up on Epona's back and grabbed her mane. Epona reared and began galloping around the field with Malon on her back. Malon laughed as the young horse took her around the grassland.

"Come on, Epona! You can go faster than that!"

Epona sped up to a rapid pace. Malon steered her towards the gate, and went full speed towards it. They burst out of the field and headed towards the milk carriage that was being loaded by Talon, who was also finishing off putting the last crate of milk in. He saw Malon heading right towards him, and dived out of the way just in time. Malon turned around laughing, as Talon got up and dusted himself off. He seemed pretty mad at her. Malon's smile disappeared. She dismounted, and slapped Epona's thigh to encourage her to go back to the field. She obeyed.

"I'm sorry daddy,"

Talon lightened up.

"That's okay. You almost had me there!"

Malon laughed and hopped onto the wagon. Talon followed. Malon looked to the right of her to see the malicious eyes of Mr. Ingo glance upon her. He was leaning on the door to the stable.

"Oh, hello there, Mr. Ingo," said Malon. She wasn't really fond of him. He always complained about how much work he did around the ranch. He did do a lot nonetheless, but he was paid to do so. Malon was surprised Talon didn't fire him.

"Malon," he replied.

"Hey, Ingo! Can I ask you a favour?" asked Talon.

"Hm?"

"Can you refill the horse's water? It's getting quite low. See you in a few hours!"

Ingo groaned and stepped into the stable, and out of sight. Talon pulled the reigns and the two horses attached the coach began to move.

"It's off to Hyrule Castle!" said Talon as the landau left the farm.

"Hey! Wake up!"

Link fell out of his chair due to this abrupt awakening. He looked up to see Navi hovering above him.

"Déjà vu," said Link as he got up from the ground. Navi didn't seem amused by the coincidence. Link rose to his feet, still wearing the towel that Saria gave to him. He stretched his neck.

"How long have I been asleep for?"

"A day," replied Navi.

"What?! A whole day?"

"We've been trying to wake you up for half an hour!"

Link paused.

"What do you mean 'we'?"

Link looked across the room to see Saria sitting on a chair, cross-legged.

"It's time, Link. It's time to start your journey,"

Link nodded.

"Where are my clothes?"

Saria pointed towards the table beside Link. There were his cloths, neatly folded with his sword and shield on top. Beside that pile, there was the mysterious emerald that she gave to him the other day, but there was something else on that table that Link had never seen before. It was a creamy coloured rock-like object. It was oval-shaped, with a spout at one end, and seven holes on the top.

"What is this?"

Saria smiled.

"I thought you might want to know that. That is an ocarina. It is an ancient wind instrument that is rumoured to have mystical powers. There are many kinds of ocarinas in the world. Some are more powerful than others. One such legendary ocarina is said to control time. This particular one is a fairy ocarina,"

Link observed the instrument.

"A fairy ocarina," he mirrored. "How do I play it?"

Saria laughed.

"Simply put the mouthpiece into your mouth and blow,"

Link assumed that the mouthpiece was the spout. He inserted it into his mouth, and blew just as Saria instructed. Sure enough, a humming noise came out of the ocarina, almost like it was singing,"

Saria looked pleased.

"If you cover the different holes on the top," she continued. "You will make different notes,"

Link experimented with different holes. Most of the time, the ocarina would squeak violently, signalling that he was using an improper finger arrangement, but every so often, he would cover the right holes and it would make a different note. It seemed hard, but Saria told him that the notes would come naturally to him eventually. The ocarina wasn't the easiest instrument to learn.

"I'll keep it handy," said Link finally. "But I think I should get dressed,"

"Say no more," said Saria as she got up from the chair with Tamil and Navi following close behind. They left the room without a word. Link quickly threw off the towel and slipped on his tunic. He parted his long, blonde bangs into the style that he preferred, and slapped on his cap. He struggled to slip on his boots, but was successful nonetheless. He strapped on his sword and shield onto his back. He felt a lump in one of his pockets. It appeared that Saria didn't take out his slingshot when she washed his clothes. He picked up the emerald and ocarina and slipped them in two separate pockets.

Link stood there for a moment, sighed and then proceeded out the door, where Saria, Tamil, and Navi were waiting for him.

Saria gave him a grin and began walking towards the tunnel that led out the forest. This tunnel was usually guarded by a Kokiri, but it appeared that Saria had told him to move just this once, because he was sitting beside the tunnel, looking impatient. Link, Saria, Navi and Tamil continued to advance on the tunnel, and luckily, the Kokiri who usually guarded the tunnel didn't budge. They got a few feet away from the passageway, and Saria stopped to face Link. Link didn't expect this, and almost ran right into her. She looked like she was piercing into his soul with her sparkling blue eyes. Link didn't know how long she was going to do this, so he spoke.

"Well, I guess this is it,"

"Yeah," she replied, looking away slightly.

"I'll be back soon,"

"At least visit sometime?"

"Oh yeah. Sure,"

Saria moved a little closer to him and stroked his bangs to make him look presentable. Then she put her hands on his shoulders. She was smiling.

"Promise me you'll be okay?"

Link was in an awkward position right now, so he didn't say anything, but nodded just the same.

It looked like Saria was hesitating to do something. Link could only wonder what she was preparing to do. She slowly leaned closer and closer towards him. She closed her eyes, and her lips made contact with his. She kissed him lightly, but didn't seem to be stopping. Link was shocked at first, but didn't shrug her away. This wasn't the same kind of kiss that he was used to, which was just a small peck that was usually on the cheek. This one was different, and had a different atmosphere to it. It brought up feelings in him that he had never felt before, which only made him kiss her back. He didn't know, nor cared why he was doing it. He just couldn't help himself. All of Link's surroundings were shutting out of his consciousness. He didn't even care who was watching him, and he knew that Navi and Tamil were right beside them. By nature they eventually started to slow down, eventually transforming it into several pecks. One last touch of the lips, and it was over; something that Link would've never pictured himself doing with her. They were still holding each other. Saria whispered into his ear.

"Do you love me?"

There was no other response that Link could've chosen.

"Yes,"

They let go of each other. Link could now see that Saria had been crying the whole time, but she was still smiling. They must've been tears of joy.

"I hate to interrupt you, lovebirds," Navi barged in. "But we have to get going,"

Link was still trying to catch his breath.

"Okay," he said at last. Link and Navi began advancing towards the tunnel. Link only turned back to look at Saria's shining face once. When he turned back towards the tunnel, he stopped dead in his tracks. A familiar pair of eyes was staring at him. Mido advanced towards him, possibly with more fury than Queen Gohma ever displayed towards him.

"So it's true," he began. "Saria truly does love you,"

Link smirked at him.

"Correct. What are you getting at?"

Mido snickered.

"Nothing in that category. In fact, I couldn't care less compared to the," Mido paused. "Other issues…"

Link's heart dropped. Could he be talking about…?

"What do you mean…? Other issues?"

Mido frowned.

"You know what I'm talking about, you liar!"

Link began to get angry.

"No, I don't know. Perhaps if you specify?"

Mido was grinding his teeth. He pointed towards the Deku Tree's dead canopy that could be seen from where they were standing.

"Does that specify it enough?"

"Look Mido, it wasn't my fault!"

Mido shook his head.

"Oh, of course it wasn't. It's just a coincidence that the Deku Tree is alive and well when you go to see him, and he's dead when you come out!"

Link's head was hurting. Saria was now approaching to see what the matter was.

"Mido, you don't understand!"

Link turned to Saria, who now seemed to understand what was going on.

"Mido, Link didn't mean for the Deku Tree to die! It's not his fault!" she said.

"It is his fault! He is a murderer! He hates everyone in this tribe and everything we stand for!! He's a killer, and wants nothing more than to see us all dead!"

CRACK!

Link never punched Mido before, but there was no compromise after that disgusting remark. The next thing he knew, he was on top of him, pounding away at his face with all of his rage. Mido's face was covered in blood, as was Link's hand. Link must've snapped, because without even thinking, he withdrew his sword and held it above Mido. He cursed him and was about to thrust it forward, when his arms were held back. Saria had his right arm, and the boy who guarded the tunnel had the other. They began to drag him slowly away from Mido, who was now spitting out blood. Link couldn't stop screaming as he tried to wrench free of the two Kokiri's grasps.

Link's rage eventually faded and dissolved. Once she realised that Link was no longer in a state of fury, Saria approached Mido and kicked him in the stomach. Mido was groaning as he rolled around the ground in agony. Saria ran back over to Link, who was now getting a hold of himself. He looked like he was about to hyperventilate, so she tried to calm him down by rubbing his back. Link was starting to calm down as his tears hit the ground. His hands were still shaking.

"I didn't mean for him to die. I wish it never happened," he blurted out.

"I know," said Saria. "We all do, but you can't let people make to take responsibility for things beyond your control."

They glanced over at Mido, who was now getting up.

"I told you…he tried to kill me! Just you wait! Give it time and he'll be the death of us all!" He ran away, towards the direction of his house. Some of his blood still lay there in a small splatter.

"I don't blame you for doing that, Link" whispered Saria, trying to encourage Link. Link was still a little shaky.

"What kind of person would say such a thing?"

"I know…I know…just take deep breaths,"

Link obeyed, and coughed every so often. Saria picked up his sword and inserted it back into its sheath. That sword had seen enough violence for now. Link took a deep sigh, and breathed easy. He was lying down, with his head rested on Saria's lap. She was stoking his hair, trying to calm him even further. All Link could do was just stare into her eyes.

"I'm sorry if I scared you,"

She smiled calmly.

"No, I expected no less from you. If you didn't do it, I probably would,"

Link was eased slightly by that comment. She leaned down, kissed him once on the forehead, and continued to stroke his hair. Link slowly sat up cross-legged. A huge rush of blood travelled to his head, making him clench it in pain. Saria put her arms around him from under his arms and locked her hands together in the centre of his chest. Link put his hands on hers. They stayed like that for a few minutes. For some reason, neither Navi nor Tamil grew impatient. Link just stared at the grass. He watched it sway back and forth, almost like a dance. Saria's chin was rested on his shoulder, her eyes drifting somewhere else, perhaps watching the grass dance as well. The fireflies would occasionally land on the blades, and then burst into several more little light fragments, which eventually died off. They were like tiny firecrackers going off for an unknown celebration. There would be no such festivity for Link, however. He had just fallen in love with Saria, and now he was going to leave her, for who knows how long? He didn't know how far Hyrule Castle was from here, so he didn't have the slightest clue how long we would be gone. He didn't want to be gone for a very long time. He wanted to spend more time with Saria. He had never wanted to spend so much time with her before. He didn't even want to leave this current embrace right now, but he knew he had to. Her hands were kept warm under his, and she kept him warm by transferring her body heat by pressing her body onto his back. Link counted to ten in his head and let go of her hands. Almost immediately, she let go of him as they both stood up. Link stretched his arms as Saria crossed hers.

"I guess I'll be going then," said Link, trying to hold back his tears.

"It had to happen sometime. I'll miss you,"

"I'll miss you too, but I'll visit soon,"

"I'll be waiting,"

They kissed one last time. Link turned around, and headed through the tunnel with Navi close behind. He didn't dare look back this time. He was afraid that if he did, he would regret it.

Zelda paced her private garden impatiently. She knew that he would arrive soon. When he signs the peace treaty, she knew that the fate of Hyrule would be sealed. It was hot today. The sun shone into the roofless room like it was the centre of the entire world. It was getting quite steamy, so Zelda decided to take off one shoe and dip it into the small moat that surrounded the whole room. She watched her dress, making sure it didn't get wet as she let the water flow between her toes. She looked up at the sky. It would be evening soon. That meant that he would arrive within a few hours. Hearing what Impa said after attempting to reason with her father, there was virtually no hope left. It seemed like the doom of the world was immanent already.

Unless…

She looked over to the arched passage that led out to the courtyard, which was heavily patrolled by guards. It was the only way into her private garden, besides the door that lead to her room, which was connected to another major hallway. If the boy from her dream, the boy from the forest as foreseen in the prophecy, would only come through that passage one day, there might be hope for humanity. She had a feeling. She felt that it actually wouldn't be long until he arrived. In fact, he might have been already on his way there.

She kicked the water gently. There was nothing she could do now but wait for him to come. She decided it would be best just to stay calm until he came. The boy with the fairy and the shining green stone would come soon. She was almost sure of it.

"Wow…"

Link had never seen such a sight before in his entire life. It was just so bright. Navi seemed a little amazed as well. It was almost like he had travelled into a different world. He looked at the sky. It was blue! It was so high up as well! Link was used to the misty, greenish overcast in the forest that scraped the treetops. This was even more amazing to glance upon than the Deku Tree. It was so hot out here as well. Usually it was nice and cool in the forest, but the sun shone directly onto him now. The grass here was like nothing he had ever seen before either. It was a yellowish colour, and was almost two feet high! Thankfully, a small path was cut, so Link could walk through so he wouldn't struggle through the tall grass.

He was in a small ravine that was only about eight feet high. He had just gotten out of the tunnel, and only stopped to observe this new world. Finally, he began to walk again. The ravine was snake-like, similar to the pass that led to the Deku Tree's meadow. There were two trees at the end of this ravine. They both had one branch that reached over the gorge. Link was used to seeing trees, of course, but there was something else that caught his eye. It was what was on the branches themselves. An owl. It was staring at him, almost as in a friendly sort of matter. It was huge; almost as big as Link. Its breast feathers were a light brown, while its wings were of a darker colour. It had two large feathers on its head, which acted like eyebrows. It hooted once Link got close to it, making him stop in his tracks. Suddenly, the owl spoke, making Link flinch.

"Ah, so the time has come for the boy to start his journey?"

Link was confused.

"Excuse me? Do I know you?"

Navi flew right up to Link's face, so he could see her figure again.

"You don't know who this owl is? I don't believe this! This is Kaepora Gaebora! He is one of the guardian spirits of Hyrule! You should listen to him!"

Kaepora laughed.

"It seems as though my influence hasn't spread much through the Kokiri has it? No matter. Link, do you know where you are supposed to be heading?"

"Well, I'm supposed to be heading towards Hyrule Castle, I think,"

Kaepora seemed pleased.

"Ah, so you know what your destination is. Do you know how to get there?"

Link's heart dropped.

"No…"

Kaepora burst into hysterics.

"Well that won't do, will it?"

Kaepora flew down to the ground to face Link. His large, yellow eyes stared into Link's.

"I guess I could help you," he began. "Not every person knows the way to Hyrule Castle. It will be about a day until we get there. Are you up to the challenge?"

"Sure!" said Link enthusiastically. What else could he have said? Kaepora hooted and flew into the air.

"Then we depart immediately! There is not time to lose! The princess is waiting for you, Link!"

Kaepora began proceeding out of the gorge at a slow pace, so that Link could keep up. Navi followed close behind. He was finally on his way! He was fulfilling the Deku Tree's dying wishes. When they exited the small ravine, what Link saw next made him struggle to keep moving. He had never seen anything so huge. This vast, enormous plain, that stretched as far as the eye can see, was unlike anything that Link had ever seen. He was so used to trees obstructing the view; he could never even imagine seeing so far. There were rolling hills up ahead, and when he looked towards the south, it went downhill and out of sight when it levelled out at the bottom of the hill. The wind blew slightly hard, harder than any wind he had experienced in the forest. He continued to walk through this new world on a path that was probably used by travellers. He saw the sun straight overhead, signalling noon. It seemed like it was going to be a while until he reached Hyrule Castle.

They walked for hours. Link got hungry after a while, so Kaepora went to snatch some prey, which he said would probably be a rabbit or a rat. Link set up a fire while he was waiting for his lunch. Kaepora came back with a rabbit. Link skinned it with his sword, and then roasted it over the open fire. The rabbit didn't taste half as bad as Link thought it would when he cooked it though. It tasted quite good, actually. They could've spent hours eating, but Kaepora kept encouraging Link to make haste. They broke camp and continued to trek in the direction that the owl was flying in. The hours seemed to drag on, because it was extremely hot, and there was nothing to do. Link decided to practice his sword fighting skills while they were walking to pass the time. He would nail the occasional passing tree with the blade, or just hit the air. Kaepora was also getting a little fed up as well, because he would usually fly much faster to get from place to place. So he said that they could play a game while they travelled. He wanted Link to try and hit him with his slingshot while he would try to dodge them. The rocks didn't hurt him though; his feathers were as tough as armour. This did pass the time, but it was hard to find good sized rocks amidst the tall grass. It was coming towards evening now, and they began to look for a place to spend the night. Kaepora said that they would stop outside a place called Lon Lon Ranch. The ranch marked the halfway point between Hyrule Castle and the Forbidden Forest. Link asked what a ranch was. Kaepora said it is a place where animals were bred and taken care of by people. Some of the animals included chickens, which were called Cuccos by the Hylians, horses, and cows. The cows provided milk, and the owners of the ranch would sell the milk for money. This seemed a little confusing to Link, but he thought he understood a little. He soon saw a high fence emerge over the horizon. A house could be seen over the fence, although the lights were off. This house was different from what Link saw in the forest. The design was different, it was much bigger, and it didn't look like it was made out of just a hollowed out tree. Kaepora exclaimed that that was Lon Lon ranch. The sun was just about to set, so they broke out into a little bit of a jog. They arrived at the tall fence, and set up camp there. They found a tree by the barrier, and decided to get some rest there. Kaepora didn't need sleep, so he volunteered to be on lookout duty. Link was pleased that he could finally get some sleep after a long day. Navi flew into his cap to get some rest herself. Link pulled out his ocarina, and began to play. He was getting good at it quite quickly. He now knew what finger positions were wrong and what were right, now he just needed to memorise what position made what note. He played a few notes on the ocarina, and he could've sworn that he heard an answering tune from the direction of the Forbidden Forest. With that, he fell asleep.

Ah, Hyrule Castle. This was going to be the beginning of the first phase of his plan. It was night, and the guards were waiting for him at the entrance to the grounds. They were all lined in a formation to welcome him. It almost felt like his reign had already begun. He snickered under his breath and waved to the guards. Some of them nodded, and some grinned. It seemed that they were much disciplined, because none waved back. Darkstorm, his horse, seemed anxious to gallop past them, but he kept it from doing so, because he was the only who could control it. He didn't want his horse to start ripping apart these guards and blow everything he had done to prepare for this. He slowly made his way up the field and towards the castle itself. The drawbridge was lowered, and he could see a few figures awaiting him up at the Castle Gates. Hundreds of guards were patrolling the area in a formal matter. It seemed like it was going to be a big ceremony tomorrow, seeing that simply his arrival necessitated hundreds of guards to attend. Once he reached the steps leading up to the gateway, two guards approached him and told him that they would take Darkstorm to the stable. He smiled and dismounted. Darkstorm immediately began to thrash about making the guards recoil. He simply but his hand on its neck, and Darkstorm calmed down.

"It's safe now. You may take him to the stable," he said as the guards nodded and pulled the now harmless Darkstorm out of sight. He walked up the stairs, and he finally made out who was waiting for him at the gates. It was none other that the king and his daughter. The king seemed overjoyed to see him, but the princess's smile seemed forced. Perhaps she was suspicious? He shook the king's hand, and winked at the princess, who bowed slightly. The king beckoned him inside, and he willingly followed him across the drawbridge. The princess followed behind them. It was finally happening. The world would soon be his.

Link woke up pleasantly. Kaepora was perched on top of the tree, looking a little concerned. Link stood up, but accidentally bonked his head on a low branch. Navi came out of his hat and fell to the ground, stunned. Link couldn't help but chuckle. Navi flew back into the air nevertheless. Link walked away from the tree's stump to get a good look at Kaepora. Indeed, something was troubling him.

"What's wrong?"

He looked at Link with a concerned look.

"He's here," he said. "The man who intends to send Hyrule into a wormhole of darkness. He's arrived at the castle."

How come everything Kaepora said confused Link?

"What? What man?"

"You will see soon enough. The princess will explain."

Kaepora took off the tree and into the air.

"We will arrive in a few hours. The sooner we get there, the better! Come on! We must make haste!"

Once again, they were on their way. Along the grassy plains of Hyrule Field, as Kaepora called it. It was a little cooler in the morning than at noon, so Link had a little more energy. He looked back at Lon Lon Ranch one more time before it went out of sight. Link had a feeling that he was going to go there again. The familiar hills met Link's eyes again. The wind began to blow, and everything was starting to heat up again. It seemed that noon was going to come soon. He pulled out his ocarina, and began to play as he walked. Somehow, the ocarina seemed to heal him somewhat. He was cooled off, and some of is minor scrapes and cuts didn't hurt as much. He was getting really good now. He knew which notes sounded higher than others. He was starting to make little tunes as the time passed. After a while, he put it away. That was when Kaepora soared down towards the ground.

"What's going on, Kaepora?"

"Hyrule Castle Town will be visible over this hill. The town is massive, and is densely populated. The castle itself lies on the North side of the town. It his heavily guarded, so you must be cautious when you enter. The roads are complex, so it might be wise to get someone to help you find your way there. Remember, not just anyone is allowed inside the castle,"

"Finally! Well, thanks for the help!"

Kaepora bowed.

"We will surely meet again inside the premises of the town. I am going to fly ahead. I'll meet you inside. Hoot, hoot, hoot, ho!"

With that, Kaepora took off, flew over the hill, and was gone. Unable to hold in his excitement, Link sprinted up the mound. It seemed like the largest hill he had ever climbed, for it was the last one. It felt like years until he got to the top, but once he got there, his jaw dropped. A huge city lay in front of him. It looked about three miles wide and four miles long. There was a road going down the middle, into what appeared to be the centre of the metropolis, which was made up of hundreds of buildings arranged in a circular pattern. Along the main road, dozens of separate streets branched off into smaller areas, yet hundreds of buildings were still abundant along these streets, making the entire town look like a star. Smoke was billowing out of chimneys in various places, and music could be heard echoing throughout the city. So, this was Hyrule Castle Town. It was surrounded by a wall, but the drawbridge was lowered, obviously accepting visitors. Excitement was flowing through him. He couldn't wait to enter this place. He wanted to explore the lifestyle of the outsider. He dashed down the other side of the hill and almost tripped and fell. He kept his balance though, for he was cautious not to knock himself out when he was this close. He reached the bottom of the hill and ran full speed towards the drawbridge. Once he was a few feet away, he slowed down to a casual walk. He didn't want to look suspicious.

"Navi, I think you should hide. I don't think these folks have seen a fairy before,"

"Good idea,"

Navi flew inside his cap.

"I promise I won't smash my head against anything this time,"

A muffled "okay" came from his cap.

Link was now walking across the drawbridge. Two guards were watching the entrance to the city. They both wore bright, shining armour, and held spears for weapons. On their chest plates, however, there was a symbol that caught Link's eye. It was made up of three golden triangles, in an arrangement that almost made him hypnotized. All of the triangles were pointed upwards, with two side by side on the bottom and one on top, making one large triangle, with a space in the middle, shaped like a triangle facing downwards. The arrangement was almost magical, and looked like it had some meaning. The next thing Link knew, he was walking past these guards. One of them spoke to him. It appeared that it was his job to do so.

"Welcome to Hyrule Castle Town, sir. It is a peaceful, prosperous, town. This drawbridge goes up at 9:00, so unless you are planning on leaving before then, you should find a place to stay for the night. Enjoy your stay!"

Link was now in the bustling city of Hyrule Castle Town. Hundreds of people were walking back and forth through the streets. The road that Link was walking down, however, seemed to be the main road that he saw earlier, which led into the heart of the city, and, hopefully, Hyrule Castle itself. Link was barely dodging the people walking by him. These people were huge! They were almost like giants! They were almost twice as big as him! There were stands scattered all around the city, with different people calling out, apparently suggesting that others should buy the things displayed on the booth. Link began to think that he should be moving a little quicker in order to blend in with the crowd. He broke into a little bit of a run, looking left and right to see if he could see a sign showing a map or giving directions to the castle. He looked ahead to see a girl running towards him. They were going to hit each other!

"Look out!" the girl screamed before they collided. They both fell down and hit the pavement, hard. Link's head was throbbing, as he saw that the girl looked like she was in pain as well. Link slowly got up and checked his cap to see if Navi was still there. Sure enough, he could feel a lump and a small, muffled, "hey!" beneath the fabric.

Link issued a hand towards the girl and helped her up. Link could get a good look at her, now that she was standing. She was about the same height as Link. She had long, fiery red hair that went all the way down her back. She had a yellow scarf around her neck, and had a white dress with blue designs for trims. She had brown boots, and big, blue eyes, similar to Saria's.

"Thank you," she said as she rubbed her head. She was looking at him with a hint of confusion, but she was smiling.

"You have strange clothes. You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, I come from far away," Link replied with a smile.

"Really? I'm not from around here either. I'm from Lon Lon Ranch, which is a little south from here. My name is Malon. What's your name?"

"I'm Link," he replied as they shook hands. Malon stroked her chin.

"Hm…green clothes. Could you be…?"

Suddenly, Navi poked her head out of Link's cap.

"All right! What's going on he-?"

She saw Malon looking straight at her. Navi squeaked and withdrew into Link's hat. Malon laughed.

"You're definitely not from around here are you? You're a fairy boy from the forest, aren't you? I've heard about your kind in stories! I never thought you were real though,"

Link was surprised. Did the outsiders really know of the Kokiri?

"So, your people know of the Kokiri?"

"The Kokiri? It that what you call yourselves? Well, your kind is only talked about in myth. Most people don't believe it is actually true though, but you're living proof!"

"Well, I wouldn't want to make a name for myself too soon,"

"Hey, I wasn't going to blab! So, what are you here for?"

Link hesitated for a moment. He wasn't sure if he should tell Malon why he was actually here for. Then again, he needed a guide, and she might be useful.

"I'm here to go to Hyrule Castle. I have an errand with the princess,"

Malon looked impressed.

"Are you serious? The princess?" she giggled. "Wow. Seeing Princess Zelda is quite an honour,"

"Zelda? Is that her name?"

Malon nodded.

"I guess we're in luck. My father went to the castle today to deliver some milk. He should've been back hours ago though!"

Link's eyes squinted. "A…father? What's a father?"

Malon's eyes widened in a confused fashion. "A father…you know…a dad."

Link shook his head. "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

Malon suddenly snapped her fingers. "Oh! That's right! I heard you fairy boys come from a really big tree. You don't have parents, do you?"

"Parents?"

Malon crossed her arms. "Well…I guess it's a little hard to explain to someone who doesn't have them. You see, us Hylians don't come from a tree."

Link's jaw dropped. "You don't? Then where do you come from?"

Malon giggled. "Each other, if you put it that way."

"What?!"

"Well, I don't really want to get _too_ far into it, but basically, all of the girls are like…um…that tree that you come from in a way. They give birth to their own children, as does everyone. So, we multiply amongst ourselves, other than just coming from one source."

It didn't make sense to Link, but not a lot of things did in this part of the world.

"I see…" he lied. "Did you say your…father…hasn't come back?"

"Nope,"

"Really? Then I guess we could help each other out then."

Just then, Link's stomach growled.

"You hungry?" asked Malon.

"Obviously. Is there anything good to eat here?"

"Is there?" exclaimed Malon. "I know a good place! Follow me!"

She grabbed Link's arm and they took off. Link almost tripped over the odds and ends strewn all over the floor. Malon seemed to be dodging them easily though. At least his forest kept the ground clean. There was still no sign of the castle or the princess anywhere. He just concentrated on where he was stepping, as Malon kept dragging him down the main street. She eventually turned onto one of the roads that branched off from the main one. It was a little less crowded here, but he still watched where he was going. The further they went down this street, the less noisy it got. The streets got narrower as they turned onto the roads that branched off from the other ones. Soon, sweet aroma's met with Link's nostrils. He could assume that it was food, but had never smelled things like these before. These new smells only made Link hungrier. Malon seemed to know where she was going, because she wasn't stopping. They turned onto a small ally, where people were very scarce. Link wondered how they would find anything to eat here. Just then, Malon stopped at a building.

"Here it is! We'll eat here."

Link didn't see anything to eat though.

"Well, where's the food?"

Malon laughed.

"Inside, silly!"

Inside? How were they going to find anything to eat inside of a building? Before Link could ask, Malon was already tugging him inside the building. She nearly kicked down the doors, and the next thing Link knew, they were inside a humid room, with different smells in every corner. He heard light scraping and clanking of metal. What if there was a sword fight happening? Malon continued to drag Link to a small stand, where a funny looking man was standing. He appeared to be scraping on some sort of paper with an odd looking instrument. He didn't seem to notice that Malon and Link were standing there. Annoyed, Malon cleared her throat. The man jumped up and looked around frantically, until he stopped suddenly, narrowed his eyes, and slowly looked over the stand, where they were standing. Hey eyed the two, and slowly spoke to them.

"Is it a table for two then?"

"Yes, please," said Malon politely. "It's just us two."

The man picked up some papers and presented a hand towards the room.

"Follow me, please," said the man as he began to walk into the room. Link and Malon followed him. They walked by some tables, with all sorts of different looking people dining on each of them. Link realised that this was some sort of store where people could make meals for others who pay. Link was impressed by this idea. It seemed pretty convenient. The man brought them to a table on the far side of the room, by a window. It was small, and had two chairs on either side. Malon hopped onto one, and Link sat on the other. The man handed each of them a piece of paper with writing on it. He said he would return shortly to take their orders. Link wasn't sure what he meant, but the next thing he knew, the man was gone. He looked towards Malon. She looked like she was reading the paper. Link thought that he should look at his. On the top of the paper, it said that it was a menu. Link had no idea what a menu was, so he asked Malon.

"Hey, what is this?"

She looked up from her menu with a grin on her face.

"You've never been in a restaurant before?"

"Is that what this place is called?"

Malon nodded.

"Well, this is a menu. It shows what food they can make for you, and how much it costs."

Link took another look at the menu. It started to make a little more sense after the explanation from Malon, but there was still one more thing he needed to know.

"Well, the thing is I don't quite know what these meals are…"

Malon burst out laughing.

"I didn't think you would! Here, look. Look at the fifth one down from the top."

Link scanned down the list until he found the fifth one down. Chicken noodle soup.

"What's that?"

"That's my favourite. I have it every time I come here. I think you'll find that pretty good."

They both looked out into the restaurant, to see the man heading back towards him. Malon turned to Link.

"I'll do the talking, okay?"

"Okay."

The man approached the table. He held a packet of papers and the same strange looking instrument Link saw him with earlier.

"Are we ready to order?"

"Just two chicken noodle soups please."

The man scraped onto the paper with the instrument.

"Very well, and anything to drink?"

Malon eyed Link for a moment, and then turned back to the man.

"We'll have water, please."

The man scribbled on the paper again.

"Thank you. It will be here shortly."

With that, the man took their menus, and was gone. Malon turned back to Link again.

"I thought you'd just want plain water. Seeing as that you fairy boys don't have that much variety of food."

"Thanks," said Link, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. They felt silent for a moment, but then Link came up with something to talk about.

"So, what's it like at Lon Lon Ranch?"

Malon leaned back in her chair as well.

"Well…I guess it's kind of hard to explain because you're not familiar with this lifestyle or the lifestyle that I live in. Well, in Hyrule Castle Town, people who live here live what is called a city life."

Link nodded. Malon continued.

"I live what is called a country life. It is much different from here. Lon Lon Ranch is basically my home. Of course I go here every time my dad delivers milk, but I spend most of my time there anyway. I'm pretty much free to do whatever I want, unlike here, where you can only do so much, because it is so crowded. At the ranch, I usually like to play with the horses the most."

"Horses…" thought Link. "I've heard of those before, although I've never seen one before. I do know what they look like though. Wait…I saw one in a dream one time."

"A dream?" asked Malon as she leaned forward in her chair.

"Not a dream; a nightmare. I have the same one every so often. It's been going on for weeks."

Malon's eyes widened.

"You've had reoccurring nightmares? How long? Has it been for three weeks or so?"

Link looked up.

"Yeah…how'd you know?"

Malon leaned back in her chair again. She looked troubled.

"I've had them too. It's horrible. What happens in yours?"

Link closed his eyes, and tried to recall what actually happens.

"I'm standing in front of a drawbridge. It's raining. The drawbridge comes down, and a white horse comes out from behind it. A woman is riding on it, and a girl is in front of her on the horse, and the girl looks at me, as if she knows me. I watch them gallop away into the darkness, and I turn around and…"

"What happens? What do you see?"

Link was cringing. He was rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache.

"It's hard to describe. I'm not even sure what I see, because the dream always ends there. All I can remember is that it is something horrible, and it is what makes me wake up screaming."

Malon didn't say a word. She looked astonished. Her jaw was dropped, and was staring at Link as if he had undergone some kind of torture.

"That is nothing like mine," she said at last. She closed her eyes, just as Link did, to recall her own nightmare. "I am in the stable at the ranch. I'm looking at the horses. I was just tending to them. Everything is normal on the ranch, but then…outside…it starts raining. There is thunder and lightning. It never does that on the ranch. I realize something is wrong, so I rush outside. I see a man standing there, right outside the door. I can't make out what he looks like, because it is raining so hard. I see my dad being taken away from the ranch by a group of thugs. The man hands me a notice of the transfer of the ranch to Mr. Ingo, and that my dad has been evicted. I am to stay on the ranch and work for Mr. Ingo, and he is to do no work of any kind. I am not allowed to see my father again. I can see Mr. Ingo laughing in the background, along with the man standing right in front of me. I start crying, and it only makes them laugh harder. My dream ends there."

"That's horrible!" Link exclaimed when she finished. "Do you think our nightmares have something in common?"

Malon shrugged.

"I don't know. Perhaps?"

Just then, the man came back with two bowls of a steamy liquid and two glasses of water. He placed one of each in front of Link and Malon.

"Enjoy," said the man.

"Thank you," Link and Malon said simultaneously.

Malon immediately began digging into her soup with a metal instrument. Link realised that he had one of his own. He picked it up, and dipped it into the liquid. When he pulled it out, he found that some of it had stayed inside the bowl part of the instrument. It held just enough liquid for a mouthful. Hesitantly, Link slipped it into his mouth, and spat it out almost immediately, making Malon look up.

"You don't like it?" she asked.

"No, no! It's good. It's just so…hot!"

"Did you blow on it? Blowing it always helps it cool down."

Link made sense of that, and tried dipping the instrument into the liquid again. Once he pulled it out this time, however, he blew on the soup, but not too hard that it would fly everywhere; Link was smart enough to know that. After a few breaths, he slipped it into his mouth. It wasn't as hot as Link thought it would be. It was a soothing warm temperature. He could actually taste the substance now. It wasn't that bad. It was delicious actually. He gulped it down and went for another mouthful.

"Good, isn't it?"

Link nodded as he continued to devour his meal. He had never eaten anything like this in the forest. This was magnificent. He found little string-like things inside the soup, which Malon called noodles. They virtually had no taste, but they added bulk to the soup, which Link enjoyed. Every so often, he would wash it down with the glass of water that lay in front of him as well. Malon seemed to be eating it as fast as he was. They both gave each other a look that said "I'll race ya!" and they began demolishing their meals at lightning speed. Link eventually put the bowl up to his mouth, and began gulping the whole thing down as a whole. Malon did the same. Once they were finished, they both slammed their bowls onto the tables at the same time.

"Tie," said Malon as she picked up a soft piece of fabric and wiped her mouth with it. Link picked up his, and wiped his own mouth. They both leant back to rest after the battle to finish first.

After a while, Link finally spoke.

"So, we're going to be headed towards the castle now?"

She nodded.

"You said that the castle grounds were heavily guarded. How are we going to get in?"

"I have a plan," she said as she pulled out a blank, folded piece of paper out of her pocket, and the same kind of instrument that the man that served them used. She placed the paper on the table, and placed the instrument's tip on top of it. She moved it across the paper, and it made a line. Link finally understood what that gadget did. It was like a compact paintbrush. She drew a rectangle on the top of the page, and labelled it "Hyrule Castle". She then drew another rectangle around Hyrule Castle, making a small border for it, and labelled it "moat". She then drew a straight line in front of the castle, and wrote it off as the castle walls, and left a space in the line, possibly representing the gate. She then drew a curvy line that twisted and turned all the way down the page, and made another identical one beside it, making what looked like a path. At the end of the path, she drew an arrow pointing off the page, and above it "To Hyrule Castle Town". She drew a line blocking off the path, and labelled it "Main Gate". She then drew various dots on her map. They were scattered all over the place. Two were situated on the gate that lead to the castle itself, and one was by the gate that blocked off the path towards the entire grounds. The rest were scattered around the grounds, particularly on the path. Malon finally put the tool down, and turned it towards Link, so he wasn't reading it upside down. She pointed towards Hyrule Castle on the map.

"Obviously," she began. "This is where you're trying to get. All the little dots represent the guards in their usual posts. The formation is strategically planned, so they are a little tricky to sneak past, but there is a way. They usually expect an intruder to run along the main path, so most of them are on the main path, which I have drawn here. Now, your first big obstacle is the main gate. There is only one guard here, but he will not arrest you if he sees you as long as you are not in the grounds. He is only there to turn around tourists and open the gate for important people. You can get around him, however. There are some tangled vines on the small cliff beside the path just before the gate. It is just out of the guard's sight range, so he won't see you sneaking in."

She pointed towards a little area just around the corner from where the guard stands.

"So, once you are on the top of the cliff, you should get a good look at the castle grounds, because it is mostly uphill from here. Whatever you do, do not run across the top of the main gate. There is a guard waiting on the other side in case someone attempts to do so. He is near sighted, thankfully, so he won't notice you cutting across from the other side of the gate. You can hop back down onto the main path after you pass the gate. Try to roll a bit, so you don't break your legs."

Link chuckled.

"Anyway, you're pretty much clear until you get here."

Malon pointed to a section of the path where there were two guards, or dots for that matter. Two other guards were standing just outside the path before the two that Malon was pointing to.

"Once you pass these two guys on the outside of the path, who can't see you on the path itself because the path is lower than the rest of the area in this spot, you can then go onto the grass so these guys don't see you. What I want you to do now is cut across the entire grounds, to this point near the other side of the castle. Be careful though, because sometimes there are patrols in this area. If you see some hostiles, use the trees for cover. Once you get to this point, which is to the left of the castle gates, there is a climbable surface on a small cliff. You can climb it, and then hop off from the other side, to get into the premises of the castle without going through the gates themselves. Now, the drawbridge will probably be up, so you are going to have to sneak around to the back door, which is where Dad goes to deliver the milk. That means you are going to have to run across the front of the castle and around the side. The guards at the castle gates have good hearing, however. So you are going to have to jump into the moat to avoid them. Enter the door on the side of the castle, and you're in. After that, I'm not sure how I can help you, and I'm sure there are more guards inside."

"It's a start," said Link, as he noticed the man coming up with a piece of paper with writing on it. He handed it to Malon, and she read it over. She reached deep into her pocket, and pulled out a red rupee. She placed it on the paper, the man bowed, and took them away. Malon jumped off of her chair.

"Come on," she said, as Link bounced off as well. They both rushed out of the restaurant in a flash. The next thing he knew, Link was outside of the café, and was being tugged by Malon in the same direction which they came. They rushed though the alleyway, and almost bumped into a few people. They were eyed by a few suspicious looking characters, making Link a little nervous. They burst out onto one of the main branches from the central road, and everything got a lot more crowded. The road was straight, but they were careful nonetheless. They rushed through crowds of people, and accidentally bumped into a few. They got a few complaints and curses, but they didn't stand around to enjoy the show. The continued to run, and soon, the major road came into view. They exploded onto this street, and dashed towards the right, heading north. It appeared to be even more crowded than the last time Link was here. Malon was dodging people, objects and animals as if they were arrows. It was hot today, and Link was beginning to sweat. They hurried through the busy city of Hyrule Castle Town. As they were running, Link looked at the many things than now lay abundant now that he was entering the heart of the city. There were a few guards patrolling amidst the crowd, and there were all sorts of strange looking people, including a strange man, selling masks to people who came to his little shop on the corner. When Link looked forward, he was in a giant square, with a giant fountain in the middle. He saw this place when he was viewing the city from the hill earlier. This was the centre of the city, and it looked like it wouldn't be long until he got to the castle, because he could see more and more guards standing guard along the road. In an instant, Malon and Link were out of the city square, and on the second half of the central road. Link peered ahead and tried to see if he could see anything ahead. Perhaps the castle? He looked ahead, and bumped into a large man with a trench coat. He gave him a dirty look.

"Sorry!" Link said as they ran past the violent looking man. When he looked ahead, he saw what he thought to be a peak of a mountain emerging in the distance. However, it looked like it was too neat and geometrical looking to be a mountain. It was too square to be a natural thing. That's when it hit him.

"Malon? Is that the castle up ahead?"

"Yup!" she cried as they sped up. So that's what a castle was! It was a giant building where very important people live in. Pretty soon they were approaching the entrance to the grounds. Four guards were standing by the entrance, and were gazing at them. It didn't look like they were getting ready to sprint out and attack them, which made Link breathe a little easier. They arrived at the entrance, and slowed down to a walk. One of the guards spoke up.

"No tourists are allowed in the castle grounds. If you wish to see the castle even closer, you are only allowed to view it as close as the main gate. Anyone caught on the grounds will be arrested on sight."

Link and Malon gave them a nod and continued to proceed into Hyrule Castle. Link's journey was almost over.


	8. The Child of Fate

8

_The Child of Fate_

"Dodongo's Cavern _has been completely sealed off, sire. The Master's orders are to remain here until he receives his demands. We are not to leave this place, no matter what the circumstances. I'm sorry, your majesty, these orders come from our superior."_

"_Very well, then," mumbled King Dodongo. The giant creature wasn't planning on leaving anyway. "What other news do you bring?"_

"_There are still other bad tidings, my lord," muttered the Lizalfos. "Queen Gohma has fallen in the east."_

"_What!" bellowed the raging King of Beasts. Was this true? He never expected a creature that powerful in that kind of area to fall. He soon fell calm. "So, the Queen of Parasites and Disease has been slain. One of The Master's most elite warriors exists no more. This is rather perplexing. Who was responsible?"_

"_No accusations have been made, my lord," said the Lizalfos._

"_Then we will wait for confirmation," said the massive fiend. He picked up a boulder, and swallowed it whole. Dust and debris sprayed from the spaces in his teeth. "If this is a threat, we will receive orders. I want you to continue your patrols. Make sure no one gets in. Understood?"_

"_Yes, my liege," said the Lizalfos, as he slunk away into the darkness. King Dodongo leaned back onto the massive wall. It looked like there may be some resistance against the hidden forces after all. He was self assured be ready for anything. Obviously, this resistance was more powerful than he thought possible. However, it was probably just a small little tear in the system, which would be dealt with quickly. A strange feeling lurked in the King of Beasts, however. Something was telling him that he was going to have to face the resistance himself.

* * *

_

"This is it: Hyrule Castle!"

Malon and Link were staring around the corner of the small canyon. They saw the gate that blocked off the grounds.

"See? There's the gate, and…" Malon pointed to the wall beside them. There were vines climbing up it. "…there're the vines. I guess this is where we split up."

"Yeah," said Link silently.

"Well, it's been fun. I'm glad we collided in the first place," she laughed.

"Yeah. I had a lot of fun too. I enjoyed seeing how you people live. Perhaps we'll meet again sometime?"

"Come to Lon Lon Ranch anytime. You'll always be welcome."

They shook hands.

"Well, I guess I'm off. I'll see you later!" said Link as he began to get a grip on the vines.

"Please keep a look out for my dad! If you see him, tell him that I'm waiting for him at the hotel! Byeee!"

With that, Malon ran off, back into the town. Link waved until she was out of sight. He knew he was going to miss her. She was the first friend he made in a long time. Now it was back to business. He needed to scale this cliff. It was only about ten feet high, but he would manage. He got a grip on the vines, and took his first step on the interlocking ropes. He was now a foot off the ground; nine more to go. He climbed up a few more feet, but now he was stuck. He had his hands gripped tightly on the stems, but couldn't find a place to put his feet. He decided he was going to use just his arms for one step up. He let his feet go, and struggled to pull his whole body weight up. His arms felt like they were about to tear off. He kept on pulling, and just before he was about to let go, he slammed his feet into a secure position. It felt like his arms had just dipped into cream, but he wasted no time, and continued to climb. He put one hand over the edge, then the other, and slowly rolled over onto the top. He lay there for a while, and tried to catch his breath. He realized that he was in the premises of the castle grounds. He immediately jumped up onto his feet, and looked over towards the other side of the gate. The guard was on the other side, just as Malon said. If she was correct, then he wouldn't notice if he bolted past him on the other side of the gate. Link gathered his courage and bolted. He could've stopped, but he would be damned if he did, for he would not continue on. He sprinted past the gate, and leapt off the other side. Now he felt a little scared. He had now jumped off a ten foot cliff and was plummeting to the dirt path. In a flash, he remembered that Malon told him to roll. He made his shoulder hit the ground first, and softened the impact by letting the rest of his body roll over it.

He was now on the main path to the castle. He had made it past the first obstacle, at least he thought. He turned around, and saw that the guards by the gate and on top of the gate had not noticed his presence. He would've done a victory dance, but now was not the time. He quickly proceeded down the dirt path. He thought it would be best to crouch as he walked, so it would make him less visible, and he would make less noise. He crept around the corner and almost fell down, for he turned around immediately. He saw two guards posted on the path. He was almost spotted. He should've been more careful, because Malon told him most of the guards were on the path. He remembered that she said that the best strategy was to cut across the field at this point.

"Piece of cake," said Link, under his breath. However, as he began to climb the small hill to the left of the path, which led to the grassy meadow, he stopped. At the top, he saw two guards standing by. If they were facing him, Link would've probably had a heart attack. Luckily, they were facing the other way. So, Link knew he had to sneak around these two. By instinct, Link went prone. He crawled ever so slowly past the guards. He was afraid that one of them would hear his arms scratching against the ground. He kept an eye on them, and saw that they didn't seem to be noticing them. Link sneered, but just before he was about to look away, one of the guards put his hand up. Link held his breath. The guard then coughed violently into the hand that he just brought up to his mouth. Link didn't even sigh in relief because of the fear of being caught. He began to crawl again. He was now halfway past these guards, which was the most dangerous position, because he was now hazardously close to them. Link crawled even more cautiously. He was so quiet, that he could hear the blades of grass rubbing against each other. Link stopped in his tracks. He had to cough, badly. He didn't know why, but he couldn't hold it in. He had to do it, but the guards would surly hear him. He chose to put his mouth to the ground and cough then, so his noise would be muffled. He looked at the guards. They were talking.

"Did you hear something?"

"No…did you?"

"Yeah, I think I did."

"Oh, you always hear things and panic! You should get your head examined! "

"I do not!"

"It was probably just a squirrel or something! Get over it!"

"Fine! Have it your way!"

The two guards fell silent. Link breathed easy, and continued to edge forward. He forgot that Navi was right under his cap. She sounded like she was sleeping. Link considered this as an advantage, because he was afraid that if she were to awaken, she would probably jump out of his hat and complain about random things, thus revealing to the guards their position. Link was almost in the clear now. He unintentionally sped up a little, and noticed that he was making more noise. He turned around, and the guards didn't seem to be noticing any disturbances. Maybe it was wise to keep that pace? He noticed that the way Navi was moving inside his cap signalled that she was going to wake up soon. He looked behind him one more time, and thought he was far enough from the guards to finally stand. He slowly got to his feet, and brushed off some of the grass and dirt clinging onto his tunic.

He then cautiously crept in the same direction. He tried to recall what Malon said to do here. He then stopped in his tracks yet again. He heard footsteps. He heard clanking armour as well. Now it hit him. This was the place where Malon said many guards were patrolling. He dived behind a nearby tree, and looked around the corner. Sure enough, there was a marching square of sentries. They were all holding spears, and were looking left and right concurrently. They were travelling towards Link's left, so Link waited until they passed him. Their clanking armour sounded slightly menacing, possibly resembling how hard it was going to be to find the princess. They were now far down the field, signalling Link's time to sprint across. He ran without stopping to look at what the guards were doing. For all he knew, they had turned around and were chasing him. He literally leapt off the ground and flew behind another tree. This was now the time to look back. He saw that the guards had now turned around and continued to pace their ground. Since they were still pretty far away, Link ran out of their eyesight. He tore towards the far cliff that bordered the castle grounds. Of course, this is where Malon wanted him to go. He slammed right into the wall, and almost kissed it accidentally. He recalled Malon saying there was a small cliff over here in the direction of the castle. He looked over to his right, where the castle was, and sure enough, he saw a small little ridge. He walked cautiously towards it. He placed both hands on the top of this ridge, and hoisted himself up. He rolled onto his back. The sun pierced into his eyes, making him squint. He then rolled over onto his stomach, and rose to his feet. He looked over to the castle grounds. He never really realized how many guards he just snuck past. There must've been about a hundred of them! He soon realized that he could be easily seen up here, so he took action. He ran to the other side of the ridge he was on, and jumped off onto the path that bordered that castle itself. He looked to his right and saw the two guards, just as Malon said, watching the entrance to the castle. It was official now; he had passed every single guard on the grounds. Again, the victory dance wasn't a good idea. Now, if he could only remember what he was supposed to do now?

He suddenly remembered that he had to jump into the castle moat to avoid the guards guarding the gate. He noticed that the drawbridge was up, so it was his only choice. He had to go around the side. He slowly approached the water, being careful not to make too much noise. He slowly dipped one of his feet into the water, and then recoiled. It was freezing cold! Link took a deep breath. He was going to have to put his whole body in fast if he were to do this. Link cringed, and slipped into the icy water. Link's heart almost stopped due to the sudden rush of temperature change, but kept cool. How could he get warm anyway? With some effort, he began to swim with the current, which luckily flowed in the direction Link wanted to go. He couldn't see over the edge of the moat, so he didn't know if he passed the guards or not. He continued to swim down the length of the castle, until he reached a corner. He turned the corner, and then slammed into a gate. Obviously, he couldn't go any further. He was now faced with the task of getting out of the moat. He looked around for a place to grab onto, but found nothing. Suddenly, he felt like slapping himself in the face. He could climb on the gate! He began to scale the interlocking pieces of metal, until he was high enough to hop onto the path once again. He twisted some of the water out of his tunic as he looked around the area. Thankfully, he was past the guards, and was on the side of the castle. This was the last destination that Malon told him to go. He was on his own now. If an emergency were to occur, he would have to improvise.

Link heard something. It wasn't footsteps, and it wasn't clanking armour. It was more of an organic kind of sound. It sounded like someone was snoring. He spun to his left, and sure enough, there was a man, simply lying down on the path, sleeping. He was lying just before the door that Malon showed him.

The man wasn't a guard, thankfully. He was more casual looking. He had balding, brown hair with a giant moustache. He had overalls with patches on the knees, over a red t-shirt. He wore brown boots similar to Malon's. Could that mean…yes! This man had to be Malon's father! He had to wake him up!

Link ran over to the man, but was careful not to be caught by any guards that may be lurking somewhere. When Link caught up to the man, he realized that he didn't smell that pleasant. Link nudged him a little. The man snorted and rolled over to one side. Link nudged him a little harder. The man didn't budge. Link would never forgive himself for doing this, but he kicked him as hard as he could in the leg. The man yelped, woke up, and clenched his leg in pain. Link backed away slightly, because he was afraid that the man was going to get up and punch him in the face. The man didn't, however. He just got up to his feet and blink around dazedly. He looked at Link, and opened his eyes fully.

"Hello, an' who might you be?"

Link introduced himself.

"I am Link of the Forbidden Forest. Are you the father of a girl named Malon?"

Talon didn't seem to be awake enough to actually realise the oddness of where Link was from. "Yep. I'm Talon. I'm th'owner of Lon Lon Ranch."

Talon looked around.

"I went up here to deliver some milk, an' thought this was a good place to rest, when I must've dosed off."

Link had to tell him about Malon.

"Malon is waiting for you at the inn. She's been looking for you for hours!"

"Malon's looking for me! Oh man! I messed up bad, leaving her alone like that! I'm really going to catch it from her now! Thank yeh, boy. Feel free tah stop by Lon Lon Ranch anytime!"

Talon began madly running down the path. Link could barely hear him yell as he ran.

"I'm coming Malon! Hold on!"

Now that that was over, Link had fulfilled his promise to Malon. He could now get back on to his own task. He faced the door, and slowly turned the knob.

* * *

"_Sir? It's time."_

_He was in a grumpy mood today. He hadn't gotten a lot of sleep, and this guard was really getting on his nerves. He was satisfied, however, for he knew that this man will be dead in the next few days. He slowly got up out of his bed, still wearing his same outfit as he did the other day. He didn't like changing his clothes._

_Today was the day that he would finally make the alliance with the foolish king of Hyrule. He would finally seal the land's fate, and then there would be no stopping him. After this, he would move towards the final stone, and then…it will be his. The source of all power, wisdom, and courage would be in his grasp soon, and the world would truly be his. Once he had it, it would be physically impossible to defeat him._

_He walked towards the door of the guest chamber, and sneered at the guard who beckoned him out. He was now in one of the halls of the castle, which was on the first floor. There were torches on the wall, and many paintings of previous kings were abundant. There were red curtains beside each painting, and a matching red carpet was underneath his feet. He could see some other doors on each side that supposedly led to other dorms, but there were many secret rooms in this castle, some of which were forbidden to have anyone but the king himself enter. He noticed that two guards were behind him. He didn't understand why he needed to be escorted to the Grand Hall of Kings, but he did know that they are oblivious to his current power. Perhaps they thought he was weak? This only filled him with anger, but he kept calm. Normally, if he got angry, he would tear people apart, but he was undercover. They approached a door on the far side of the hall. It was somewhat fancy. It was aligned with golden designs, and had a diamond hard finish to the wood. He twisted the knob and opened the door himself. This door, as he knew, lead to the castle courtyard. The sun now shone into his eyes. It was such a dreaded thing, the sun. If he had his way, he would cover the world with a permanent overcast. That would make things more pleasant. They walked over the soft grass, and stepped towards the left. This path lead to a door, as he was told at least, that led to a heavily guarded hall that reached the Grand Hall of Kings, adjacent to the princess' private garden. He looked to his right, and saw a few barrels, possibly containing food, but something else caught his eye. It was almost like he saw a flash of emerald green behind them. It was too dull to be a light. Something was hiding behind those barrels. He tried to get a better look behind them as he was walking, but didn't see anything. He decided it was best to ignore it, and proceed towards the door. He saw it, and knew that it was almost time to seal everything, but he couldn't help but have a feeling in his gut that whatever was hiding behind those containers was powerful. It was very powerful, and he would meet with it soon.

* * *

_

Link leaned the back of his head on the barrel. He was thankful that whoever just passed him by didn't see him. This looked like it was going to be more difficult than actually infiltrating the castle itself, for he had no instructions. He peered around one of the drums, and checked to see if there was anyone there. There was no sign of anyone, so he dashed. He ran across the grassy floor of the castle courtyard, and couldn't help but gaze on the white brick walls. They towered above him, and were taller than any tree he had seen in the forest. He quickly pressed his back on the inside wall as he approached a corner. There was a door on the other side of the hall, but he saw that it had just been closed, so someone must've just gone inside. It would be best not to go in there. Link peered around the corner, and again checked for guards. There was one, and was facing in the direction of another door. Link decided he would check in that door, but the guard made it impossible. Link had to get around this guard somehow if he was to continue.

It hit him like a rock to the head, and that was exactly what Link was thinking of. He took out his slingshot, and looked around for a pebble. He found one just by his foot. He picked it up, and placed it in the elastic band between the "Y" shaped stick. He drew back, aimed at a wall on the far end of the hall, and fired. The rock bounced off the wall, and made quite a racket. This caught the guard's attention, so he patrolled over to the area where the rock hit to investigate. Surprised by the guard's dull witted mind, Link used this time window to sprint across towards the door without being detected. He quickly opened the door, stepped through, and then shut the door quietly enough so that no one could hear him. He put his hands on the door, and leaned on them while he was catching his breath. He quickly bolted down the hall, in case someone was about to enter this place. At the end of the hall, there was no door, but an opening. Link ran through this opening, and stopped dead in his tracks. There was a bed in front of him, and no ordinary bed at that. This was the most amazing bed he had ever seen! It was incredibly large, with big, fluffy pillows and a thick duvet. It had four posts on each corner that rose up high over the bed itself. Slightly transparent pink curtains hung from these posts, and made the bed look incredibly exquisite. Link took some effort and looked away from the bed to look at everything else in this room. There was a gold-lined dresser, a giant mirror, and a bookshelf. This basically looked like a typical Kokiri bedroom, except everything was blown up out of proportion, and was made ten times more valuable. Something else was catching Link's eye. There was a door between the bookshelf and the mirror. What was on the other side of this somewhat dreamlike room? There was only one way to find out. Link proceeded towards the door. With a shaky hand, he grabbed the knob, twisted it to the right, and pushed forward.

The sun's light almost blinded him, but he kept his eyes open. This room was similar to the castle courtyard, but it wasn't swarming with guards. Link proceeded into the room. A moat was surrounding the entire chamber, and a tiny bridge was in front of Link to cross. He stepped over it, and looked around the room. The place was basically circular. The floor was grassy, similar to the courtyard, and had a small garden in the centre. There were two windows high above this room, and were on opposite sides. Every so often, a guard would pass by these windows, but wouldn't look into the room itself. There were trees by the water, fanning out from some stairs on the far side of the room. However, there was something on the top of the stairs that Link would've probably never have forgotten. There was someone there. Link would've bolted out of the room, but something was keeping him from doing so. This person didn't look hostile at all. Before Link knew it, his feet were carrying him forward to get a better glance of this person. He was now cutting through the garden in the middle of the room. This person was getting clearer into view. This person was a child, like him. He was now getting close to the stairs. The child appeared to be facing away from him, making him breathe a little easier. He shakily put one foot on the first step. The child didn't seem to be turning around. He went up another step. Still, the child did not budge. Link continued to climb the marble steps until he reached the top. The child was wearing a dress, signalling that she was female. She was peering out of the window that was at the top of the stairs. Something seemed to be happening in the room. She was about Link's height. Link edged towards her, ever so slowly. He was literally inches from her. She still didn't seem to be moving. He gulped, he felt like he needed to speak to this person. He slowly lifted his hand to tap on the girl's shoulder.

Suddenly, the girl's head lifted, making Link flinch. She spun around and stared at him in shock. Now that Link could actually see her face, she must've been the most beautiful looking girl he had ever seen! She wore a white headdress, with a pink band, that bore the same strange symbol, which Link saw on one of the guards at the entrance to Hyrule Castle Town, in the centre on a golden pendant. He could see some of her blonde hair on the bottom of the headdress. The rest must've been tucked away in there somewhere. She had a jewel necklace, made with all sorts of colourful diamonds, emeralds, and rubies. She had a pink shirt with short, white sleeves, and had a long-sleeved, sky-blue shirt underneath. She had a long, white dress, made of two parts. One part was the plain white dress itself, and the other, was a piece of pink fabric that was hanging down in front, bearing many designs, including the same triangle that filled Link with wonder. This appeared to be held by what looked like a red eagle. This girl was looking deep into his soul with her blue eyes. Her expression suddenly turned to rage and annoyance.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Link was shocked.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know who you are, or where you come from, or how you got past the guards. I'd suggest you'd leave, now!"

Link then realised that this person knew that he was an intruder.

"I'm sorry. I was sent here by the Great-"

"I don't care who sent you! Leave! Now!"

Navi was rustling inside Link's cap violently. She had woken up! She was now scurrying towards the front of his cap. She was going to get out! Link tried to keep her in.

"Navi! Not now!"

"Who are you talking to?"

Just then, Navi burst out of Link's cap and flew right up to the girl's face, whose eyes widened.

"And just WHO do you think you are to tell Link that he can leave, hm? Why should we leave! Because you said so!"

The girl's jaw dropped. She stared at the fairy in disbelief. Navi seemed confused.

"What? Is there something in my face?"

The girl turned to Link and back to Navi again.

"Is that…" she whispered under her breath. "?…a fairy?"

Navi was shocked and appalled.

"Of course I'm a fairy!"

The girl turned to Link.

"Then…then you're from the forest…right?"

Link nodded. The girl smiled, as if she was expecting something. She leaned forward anxiously.

"Then…you must have the Spiritual Stone of the Forest. That green and shining stone? Do you have it?"

Link didn't know what this girl was talking about. The Spiritual Stone of the Forest? He didn't have anything like that! Suddenly, he remembered the emerald entwined in gold that Saria gave to him in the forest. He slowly reached into his pocket, and pulled it out. He showed it to the girl. She laughed almost immediately.

"You do have it! Yes, I thought you were the one!"

She seemed so happy to see him now. Just a moment ago, she was ordering him to leave; now it seemed that she would die if he left.

"I had a dream," she began. "There were dark storm clouds. They were covering the sky, and blocking out all sunlight. People were dying. Everything was going black. Then, a light emerged from the forest, lit up the ground and parted the clouds. The light then transformed into a boy, holding a green and shining stone, and was followed by a fairy. I know this is a prophecy…" The girl suddenly gasped. "Oh! I'm sorry. I got carried away with my story and didn't properly introduce myself!" The girl then put on a warm, friendly smile. "I am Zelda: princess of Hyrule."

Link again forced himself to restrain the victory dance. He had finally found her! This was the girl the Deku Tree told him about! The Princess of Destiny!

"I'm Link," he said proudly.

"Link…" said Zelda. "Somehow…it sounds familiar. Wait…who was it you said sent you?"

"The Great Deku Tree."

"Oh, did he? Well I guess he would be the only one to send someone off to see me. How is he keeping?"

Link sighed solemnly.

"Recently deceased."

Zelda looked extremely shocked.

"He's dead? That's impossible! Spirits like the Deku Tree can't die!"

Link shook his head.

"He was cursed. A man cursed him, and let Queen Gohma hollow his roots. The Deku Tree summoned me to slay Gohma, but was doomed before I even started."

"Queen Gohma? Dead as well? Well, I guess that is some good news. Gohma was much feared, but there are many creatures more powerful. Wait…did you say that a man cursed him?"

"Yes. I don't know who though."

Zelda closed her eyes in disturbance. It was as if she was expecting this. She walked down the steps slowly, with her hands behind her back. Link followed close behind. She was looking towards the sky. Link looked up as well, but saw nothing but clouds. He looked back to Zelda. They were now in the centre of the room, where the garden was. Zelda sat down, followed by Link. Zelda had her knees raised up, with her arms securing them in place. Link's legs were flat on the ground and spread out slightly. She was looking at him.

"I know that you are the one in my prophecy. I've been waiting for you for months now. I think it is about time you know about the things that are happening."

Link leaned forward attentively. Zelda continued.

"My father, the king, has been very stubborn lately. Well, he always has been." Zelda bit her lip. "A man, a wicked man from the desert has come here. He is the leader of the Gerudos. They hail from the west. He has come here to swear allegiance to my father, but I'm sure he is not sincere. I can sense that man's evil intentions."

Link couldn't help but ask.

"What is he planning to do?"

Zelda seemed a little stressed.

"This is one of the most common ways to destroy a nation. He is going to ally with my father, so no one will expect an attack, and his forces are mustering from all four corners of the world. I'm afraid that these forces are going to be too much for us Hylians. Once he signs the treaty today, an attack on Hyrule Castle will be immanent. There was no convincing my father to change the plans and prepare for an attack. Now I am uncertain what will be destroyed and what will be spared during this time."

Link didn't know what to say. He knew that there was some sort of commotion concerning the outside world, but he would've never guessed it was a doom that would affect the entire world. It seemed like such a threat not only to the outsider, but Link also feared it would reach the forest as well. It now seemed that Queen Gohma wasn't just a wild creature unleashed on the Deku Tree, but a servant to this man's will, and with it being such a powerful creature, Link couldn't imagine what kind of power this man would wield to control it. Link could only ask one question.

"What is the man's name?"

Zelda cringed and shuddered. It was as if the mere thought of his name brought chills up her spine. However, she opened her eyes, and took a deep breath. With some effort, she spoke.

"His name is Ganondorf: King of Thieves."

Ganondorf…it was no mystery why the name made Zelda shiver. The sheer name of the man made Link wince. Although, it seemed like the name was familiar to Link, almost like he had heard it before. So, this man named Ganondorf was the one who cursed the Deku Tree, and the one who was causing all of this mischief. Link didn't understand how a man could develop such an evil heart, but apparently someone did, and was now threatening the entire world. So, if he was from the west, where these Gerudos lived, then that meant that his forces were mustering there at least. Link had other things to worry about than where his army was gathering.

"Why does he want to attack Hyrule? Why did he murder the Deku Tree?"

Zelda sighed sombrely. It appeared like she was afraid he would ask that.

"Why he wants to take over Hyrule, I cannot answer, but I can answer why he killed the Deku Tree. He wanted what is in your hand, right now."

Link looked at his hand. He was still holding the emerald. So, Saria was correct after all. Link could only wonder why Ganondorf would want such a thing. He asked Zelda. She seemed to be a little frustrated.

"It's a little hard to explain. It's quite complex, actually. Do you know what the Triforce is, Link?"

The Triforce?

"No," he replied.

"Well, I guess I'll have to explain the legend behind that."

Zelda shifted her position a little, for she was about to tell him a story, Link supposed.

"Long ago, before spirits and time existed, three golden goddesses descended on the chaos that was Hyrule."

Link nodded to show his interest. Zelda began counting her fingers as she listed the goddesses' names.

"There was Din, the Goddess of Power, Nauru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the Goddess of Courage. Now, each of these goddesses had a job to do. Din was the first to do hers, which was to cultivate the land and create the red earth. Nauru was next. She poured her wisdom onto the land, giving the spirit of law to the world. Finally, Farore, who probably had the most important job of all, with her rich soul, produced all life forms that uphold the law. So far so good?"

Link nodded. Zelda continued on with this intriguing story.

"With their labours completed, the three goddesses departed for the heavens. At the point where the goddesses left the world, three golden triangles remained: The Triforce. To this day, the sacred triangles have become the basis of our world's providence, and the resting point of the triangles has become the Sacred Realm."

Zelda pointed towards the golden pendant on her headdress, bearing the symbol that no longer made Link scratch his head. So that is what it was! One shard from Din, Nauru, and Farore made that symbol, but what did this have to do with Ganondorf and the emerald, or the Sacred Stone of the Forest? Just before Link was about to ask, Zelda stopped him.

"Don't say anything just yet; there is more to this story than just the Triforce's orient. Now, the Triforce is more than just a golden triangle, but it is an extremely magical and powerful relic. Now, if one were able to touch the Triforce, then one will have whatever wish one wants granted. Of course, there is more to it than that. If one with a pure heart were to touch the Triforce, then the Sacred Realm would become a paradise. However, if one with an evil mind were to lay his hands on it, then the realm would become full of evil. That is what has been said by the Shadow Folk: The Shiekah."

"Who are the Shiekah?"

Zelda looked a little depressed.

"It's more like who _were _the Shiekah. The Shiekah were guardians of the Royal Family. Almost all of them died protecting us. They are all but extinct now. The only one remaining today is Impa, my attendant."

Zelda looked up.

"Oh, there she is now."

Link looked behind him. There was a woman standing there, and a tall woman at that. She had white hair, which was tied back in a neat ponytail. She wore dark blue spandex, which was cut short at the knees, where it almost met up with her black boots. She had a solid steel breastplate, and a dagger strapped behind her waist. Her eyes, with mysterious red irises, narrowed.

She suddenly crouched down and withdrew her dagger. She held out one hand, with her palm facing Link. Both Link and Zelda stood up. All of a sudden, there was a bright white flash, and Link was temporarily blinded. He staggered backwards a bit, only to fall right into Impa's grasp, who had impossibly been behind him the whole time. Link regained his sight, and realized that Impa had her dagger up to his throat. Zelda seemed to be staggering a little, obviously because of the flash. She slowly regained her sight, only to see Link in the life threatening position that he was in.

"Don't worry Zelda! I've got him. He isn't going to hurt you," said Impa with a harsh tone to her voice. Zelda panicked.

"No! Don't! Don't hurt him! He's the one I've been waiting for! He's the one from my dream!"

Impa's grip tightened on Link, and the dagger looked more and more dangerous.

"What!"

"Let him go!"

Impa was now squeezing Link, not letting him breathe. Link began to struggle, but Impa would not loosen her grip.

"Princess, I'm sorry, but I can't let your safety be risked!"

"I ORDER YOU TO LET HIM GO!"

Zelda looked like she was about to pop a vein. Slightly stunned by Zelda's sudden outburst, Impa slowly loosened her grip. She eventually opened her arms and let Link free. Link dropped to all fours and struggled to catch his breath. He was coughing and wheezing as Impa put her blade back into its scabbard. He spat a few times, for saliva was clogging up his throat. Zelda bent down and tried to comfort him.

"I'm sorry," she began. "Impa is really protective of me. It's just that she has never seen you before."

Zelda gave Impa a dirty look.

"It's okay," coughed Link. "I'm all right."

"I apologize," said Impa. "I thought you were some sort of assassin."

"How could he be an assassin?" said Zelda sternly. "He is no older than I am!"

Impa reached into her pocket. She pulled out a small container filled with some sort of black powder. She pinched a little bit out, and told Link to open his mouth. Link did so, and Impa sprinkled a little bit of the substance down his throat. Link thought he was going to gag at such a dry substance, but surprisingly, he was soothed by the powder. His coughing and wheezing stopped, and he also felt a little bit of energy returning to him. Link almost fell backwards when he stood up, possibly because he did it too fast. Luckily, Zelda caught him before he completely tripped.

"Easy there," she said.

"I'm fine now, thanks."

Once Zelda lifted Link back upright, he only sat back down beside the flowers of her garden. Zelda shortly followed.

"Impa," she said. "Do you mind leaving us alone for a moment? I'm in the middle of a story."

Impa bowed and quickly left the room. There was something strange about her. It was something that Link was feeling in the atmosphere around her, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was like a malevolent energy, yet benevolent at the same time. He decided it was best not to dwell on it.

"As you were saying…?" Link encouraged.

"Oh! Right…"

Zelda got comfortable again as she continued her story.

"So, obviously, people got worried about the chance that someone with an evil heart would enter the Sacred Realm. So they had to find some way to protect it from evil ones. So, the six ancient Sages built the Temple of Time to fortify the Triforce. The temple is situated on the east side of Hyrule Castle Town. The ancient six were extremely powerful, and they varied in abilities. There was one Sage based on each element. There was Forest, Spirit, Fire, Water, Light, and Shadow. The six were faced with a problem, though. It would be beneficial to the world if one with pure of heart entered the Sacred Realm, so they needed to find a way to seal the Triforce from evil ones, but let the pure pass through. So, the Sages of Forest, Fire, and Water each made one sacred stone. One stone was given to the Kokiri: the people of forest, the Gorons: the people of fire, and the Zoras: the people of water. These were some of the keys in order to enter the sacred realm, so if one were to do it, they would have to gain the trust of three races of Hyrule. However, the Sages weren't going to let just three races protect the Triforce. They thought that it would be wise to make another key, and leave it in the hands of the Royal Family. The key is a magical Ocarina of legend: The Ocarina of Time! If a certain song is played with it, and all three stones are placed on the altar in the Temple of Time, the Door of Time will open. The Door of Time is the only physical thing blocking the path towards the final key to the sacred realm. No one actually knows what the physical form of the key actually is, but it is known to be of the most useful key of all. You see, all of the other objects that must be acquired in order to enter the Sacred Realm could be taken by force, so the Sages had to make one last final key in order to make sure that only the pure may enter the resting place of the sacred triangles. This key has the ability to repent evil, so the wicked can not touch it, therefore making it impossible to let them in. So, if someone pure of heart, with the sacred stones of forest, fire, and water, and with the Ocarina of Time, touches this last key, the Triforce will be his."

Link was confused.

"If the wicked can not touch the last key, then why are you worried that Ganondorf will be able to take the Triforce?"

"I thought you'd ask that. You see, there has never been a wickeder or more powerful force on this earth than Ganondorf. He has the power to convert the most holy things to evil. If he were to do this to the last key, it would accept him into the sacred realm."

"I see…"

That story explained a lot to Link. He now understood why Ganondorf was so desperate to obtain the Stone of the Forest; he wanted to get the Triforce for himself and make a wish, thus making the Sacred Realm full of evil. Link couldn't imagine a worse fate for the world. Ganondorf's plan seemed so simple, but Link didn't know what he could do about it. He wanted to help. He had to stop Ganondorf from reaching the Triforce! Before Link was about to ask, both Link and Zelda heard the muffled sounds of trumpets and drums through the wall. Zelda leapt to her feet.

"It's begun!" she exclaimed. "The ceremony has started!"

"What?"

Zelda was already running back towards the window.

"They are about to sign the treaty! Come on!"

Link leapt off the ground and ran towards the window, where Zelda had just arrived. He almost tripped on the steps as he travelled towards Zelda. She was already peering out the window. Link finally caught up to her, and Zelda shifted to one side to give him a spot to see. He stopped beside Zelda, and gazed through the window. Indeed, it looked like something was happening inside there. There were dozens of high-ranking guards lined against the wall, all not budging. A man was standing at a table in the middle of the room.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"That's my father," Zelda replied.

The King of Hyrule was a somewhat strange looking man. He had a round belly, and short legs. He had white hair, and a neatly trimmed beard. He wore a scarlet jacket, lined with gold, which reached the back of his knees. He wore a fancy vest underneath, with blue, silver and gold designs entwining each other. His crown was very modest, with only a few jewels scattered along it. He had a stern look to his face. It wasn't a look of anger, but of importance.

"Where is he…?" Zelda whispered. "There!"

"Where is who?"

"Ganondorf! There he is! Right there!"

Zelda was pointing towards the left of the room, or the side opposite the king. Link was moving his head around, trying to get a better view, but he saw no one. He was about to call Zelda's bluff, when he saw a figure approaching. Link couldn't make out the individual's distinct features at first, because the opposite side of the room wasn't very well lit. The person did look quit big however. The figure moved towards the light somewhat slowly. Link began to get anxious. He knew it was Ganondorf, but he wanted to see what he looked like. As Ganondorf got closer and closer to the light, a few features could be seen. The first things Link could see were his eyes. As Link stared at them, he could almost sense the man's evil, just a Zelda could. They made him look immortal, and seemed be glowing ominously. It was almost like each one was containing a raging inferno that could engulf the entire world in flame. As Link was horrified by the simple glitter of this man's eyes, he didn't realise that he was now fully lit. Link snapped out of his hypnotization. Ganondorf might have just been the most terrifying person he had ever seen. He had flaming red hair, slightly short, and spiking out at the back. He had very dark skin, like he was scorched by the sun as punishment. Muscles bulged out of every part of his body, making him look indestructible. He wore pitch black armour, with small spikes on the shoulders. He wore a modest cape, which only went down to about the middle of his back.

Ganondorf approached the table, and shook hands with the king, who smiled affirmatively. The king pointed down at a piece of paper lying down on the table, as if instructing Ganondorf to do something. He nodded, and picked up a similar writing instrument that Link saw in the restaurant earlier. Ganondorf leaned over the table and scribbled near the bottom of the page. Zelda shuddered gravely.

"It's done," she said. "The end of the free world is immanent."

"I'm sorry," said Link, trying to comfort her. "I wish I could've done something about this."

"There was nothing you could do."

Zelda looked as if she was going to cry. Link couldn't help but feel sorry for her. After all, she was going to be the first to be affected in Ganondorf's attack on Hyrule. He rubbed her back.

"It's okay," he said. "I won't let him hurt you, or I'll die trying."

Zelda looked up. Her eyes were still watering, but she was smiling.

"That's sweet, but I'm afraid that the attack will be unpredictable. Ganondorf will look for the time when we are most off guard, and I'm afraid you won't be there when it does happen."

Zelda suddenly looked like she was thinking. She was stroking her chin, and she had a grin on her face.

"Actually, there is something you can do."

"What is it? I'll do anything!"

Zelda looked as if she had just thought up of a brilliant plan.

"If we are attacked, then Ganondorf will be the ruler of the world. Correct?"

"Yeah…"

"However, it will be possible to reclaim the throne in the name of justice. Am I right?"

"Yes, I suppose."

"We know that Ganondorf is not only after Hyrule, but the Triforce as well. If he were to obtain it, then it will be impossible for us to overthrow him; he would be too powerful."

"I think you're right…"

"So what we need to do is to get the Triforce!"

"What! You're crazy!"

Zelda sighed impatiently.

"I know it sounds a little far fetched, but it is the only thing we can do! Look, we can sit here and wait for the end, or we could actually do something about it! Now, the first thing we need to get is the second stone! Oh…wait…where do the Gorons live…?"

Suddenly, another voice entered the room.

"Is everything all right here?"

Link and Zelda spun around. Zelda sighed with relief.

"Oh, General Amentaris…I didn't see you there."

There was a man standing at the opposite end of the room. He looked about 6'3, and had long, dark hair that went down to about his shoulders. He had a scar on his cheek, and had two swords strapped behind his back in an "X" formation. He had thick, black chest plate and shoulder armour, over a gold-lined black tunic. The armour wasn't a menacing black as was Ganondorf's, but more modest. His pants were tucked into his boots, which looked really heavy, possibly because they were steel-toed. He wore thick, black leather gloves, probably to protect his hands from being blistered by his swords. His cape was red, and reached his ankles. He looked like he had been in many battles, for there were scars all over his arms, which were fairly bulky. He had a modest goatee, making his chin look even more developed. His grey eyes were perfectly still, and the small gleam that reflected of their corneas were as still as stones. Zelda introduced him to Link.

"Link, this is General Amentaris," she said as the general bowed his head slightly. "He is the 6-Star General and Supreme Commander of the Hylian Forces and the Elite Guard."

"…and who might this young lad be, Princess?" questioned Amentaris.

"This is Link," she replied. "We've just met, and are discussing matters of mutual interest."

"Like what?"

Zelda panicked a little. Link decided it would be best if he made the save.

"It is personal stuff. Do you really need to know?"

Amentaris crossed his arms.

"No…I'm just asking."

Zelda and Link quietly sighed in relief.

"So, what brings you here, General?"

Amentaris seemed to get a little more easy-going.

"Well, I've just come back from the ceremony. I happened to hear your voice in an annoyed tone, so I came to see what the matter was."

"How did the ceremony go?"

The general seemed a little uneasy.

"Well, it did go well, I suppose, but there was something about it I didn't like."

Link and Zelda perked up at hearing this. Link spoke.

"Do you know what it is?"

He shrugged.

"I had a funny feeling that we will regret doing it, like something bad will come of it. Sure, I've seen a lot of these agreements take place; I'm the military leader, but this particular one just didn't feel right."

There was an uncomfortable pause for a while. It was almost as if they were reading each other's minds, and exploring their deepest thoughts. Zelda suddenly broke the uneasy silence.

"General, do you know where the Gorons live?"

"Hm?"

"The Gorons…where can we find them?"

"I believe they reside on the slopes and in the caverns of Death Mountain. Why do you want to know?"

Zelda forced a laugh.

"No reason. I just forgot. That's all."

Amentaris nodded.

"Well, I'd best be off then. I'm rather hungry, and I'm still on duty."

"Ok, bye."

With another quick bow of the head, General Amentaris turned around, and was soon gone. Zelda turned to Link. She seemed much happier now.

"Ah, yes…Death Mountain. That's where you should be headed when you leave here."

Link tried to explain to Zelda what he felt about all this.

"Look, Zelda, I don't think I'm the right guy for the job. I mean, sure, I was in your prophecy, and I eliminated Queen Gohma, but really, I'm just a kid. I don't think I should be wandering around Hyrule, alone, finding these relics that I am sure are heavily guarded. Besides, I have people I need to see as well, back in the forest, not to mention Lon Lon Ranch. It's not like I don't care for the fate of the world, it's just that I don't think I can help that much, being who I am."

"I understand, Link, but everyone has social lives. No one else has such potential as you, and if I order a massive group to retrieve the stones, then I will have many dreams and lives on my shoulders. Do you understand?"

"Yes, but I'm still just a kid!"

"No, you're not. You're not just a kid, because what normal child has done anything like you have? Plus, you are the only one who believes my prophecy, and the legend behind the Triforce. How many children appear in a princess' dreams?"

"Zelda…"

"Look, it's not like I don't understand the trials up ahead, but I believe that you are capable of conquering them. It's your destiny, Link. Please. If it is not you who overcomes these tasks, then the world will slowly slip into darkness. Link, you're turning your back on the future."

Link closed his eyes and winced. He was rubbing his forehead due to stress. He wasn't mad at Zelda, it was just that he expected to just go here, talk to the princess, and head back home to the forest. Now he had an immense task in front of him. He was now aware that his life would never be the same if he did this, but in the long run, his life would be even worse if he were to turn around. No matter which path he chose, things wouldn't be the same, and there was nothing he could do about it. The world seemed to be out to get him. Now that a menace, bent on world domination, had made his first move, Link's own decision right now would determine the fate of the world. Everything depended on what he would say now. Everyone would be affected: The king, Zelda, Malon, General Amentaris, Impa, Talon, Kaepora, Saria, Mido, Navi and of course, himself. He thought that if he died trying to save them, then they would still be covered in a world of shadow and flame. This was sort of a déjà vu for Link. This was similar to the time when he was thinking of turning back when he was travelling down the roots of the Deku Tree. He made an important decision there, and now it was time to make another, but this time, he wasn't doing it for one soul, but for the entire world. Link might have never forgiven himself for doing it, but he spoke.

"All right…I'll do it."

"Thank you," said Zelda thoughtfully. "I knew you'd come through for me. So, the first thing you need to do is…"

Zelda suddenly looked like she had a headache. She was massaging her temple, and was cringing. Link was about to ask her what was wrong, when she spoke to no one in particular.

"What…? Are you sure…? Already…? I was afraid we'd be too late…What is the severity…? No…It can't be _him_ leading them…can it? Why would he…oh, I see…All right, I'll see what I can do…"

Zelda suddenly snapped out of it. She seemed a little disturbed, but kept her cool. She noticed that Link was a little confused about what just happened.

"I was just contacted telepathically by Darunia, the leader of the Gorons."

"Tele-path-ic-ally?"

"It means talking to someone using just your mind. Anyway, Darunia just informed me that they have already been attacked."

"What?"

"Dodongo's Cavern, which is the source of all their food supplies, has been blocked off, and overrun with hostiles."

"The work of Ganondorf, I assume."

Zelda nodded.

"The history of the cavern is brief, but important nonetheless. It used to be the home of a race of creatures known as dodongos. They are fire-breathing lizards that will eat anything. Once the Gorons came to being, they managed to drive the dodongos out of the cavern, in order to survive. Now, the beasts are back, and in greater numbers. If the Gorons are not aided, I'm afraid they will starve."

"So…all I have to do is unblock the cave, and then simply make the dodongos beat it, right?"

Zelda shook her head.

"Not entirely. You see, there are more than just dodongos in the cavern. There are many Lizalfos inside, which are Ganondorf's standard soldiers. They are lethal, and exceed in sword duels, so beware of them. The best strategy would be to avoid them. However, the Lizalfos aren't the only things you need to be worrying about; not even close. There is another fiend lurking inside the cavern walls. King Dodongo, a servant of Ganondorf's will for years, was the one responsible for ordering the raid of the cavern. I am sure it was Ganondorf's idea, but only King Dodongo himself can command the troops he wields, which are the dodongos themselves, of course. Darunia claims that their orders are to remain in the cavern until further instruction, so Dodongo's army won't be a large physical threat to the Gorons as of now, but I'm not sure this uneasy ceasefire will continue. So you have to help the Gorons out. If you do succeed in doing it, I think that they will trust you, thus giving you the Spiritual Stone of Fire."

"Sounds like a plan," said Link. "I guess I should get going then. I have no time to loose."

"No no no no! Stay here for a little longer! We only just met. Let's say…a day. Just one day! I haven't even got to know you yet!"

"Okay, okay…just calm down. I just thought you wanted me to leave right away."

"No…I want to get to know you. I've been waiting for you for so long…"

"Why don't we talk about something else besides 'matters of mutual interest'?


	9. A Night in Hyrule Castle

9

_A Night in Hyrule Castle_

_Saria just finished eating dinner. She had just the usual things she ate; just a plain salad with some carrots and fried Deku scrub meat. Tamil was beat for the day, and was sleeping in the corner._

_It had been quiet in the forest lately…without Link. He usually brightened up the spirits of all the Kokiri. Now that everyone was noticing that Link was gone, they were thinking that he had been kidnapped. Even Mido was wondering where Link ran off to. Every time Saria walked past the exit out of the forest, she worried more and more about him. She was also reminded of the day that he left, and when she kissed him. Every time she thought about it, she wondered more why she did it in the first place. She knew that he didn't love her, and she didn't love him. She couldn't even explain to herself her "love or hate" theory. She had mislead Link into thinking he loved her, but in reality, he didn't. She knew he didn't. How was she going to tell him when he returned, or, if he returned? He was such a sweet boy, and being deceived like that would make him vulnerable for emotional destruction if she told him what she, or both of them felt about each other. She still wanted to be friends with him, of course. She knew that she had to explain the kiss as well. Her theory was that it was just an act of not wanting to loose each other, as friends that is. They both knew that they weren't going to see each other for a long time, so they let their emotions flow a little too harshly, making it the illusion of affection. It wasn't like she didn't enjoy the kiss itself. It was actually a little interesting, despite the fact that she regretted it now._

_She had a funny feeling, however. Her gut told her that Link would return soon.

* * *

_

Link talked to Zelda for a long time. They were walking down the main halls of the castle, and chatting away. Every so often, they would turn a corner where a guard was standing. Link would usually be the first one to be seen, so the guards would automatically chase him until the caught sight of Zelda, which is when they would return to their posts. Link had told her so many things. He told her about his adventure in the heart of the Deku Tree, and his fight with Gohma. Zelda actually screamed out loud when he told her about when Gohma whacked him into the pillar. He told her about Saria, and got quite a bit of "aww" from Zelda. Link also rambled about his adventure here, and his encounter with Malon. Zelda seemed intrigued by Link's stories, despite the fact that she lived a more prominent life.

Pretty soon, Link's presence was known throughout the castle. He was known as "Zelda's new friend". At least guards wouldn't jump out with their spears pointing at him when they caught a mere glimpse at him. Apparently, Ganondorf was still inside the castle, and was planning to stay for a few days. Link was a little troubled, but decided to live with it, and not try to run into him as he roamed the castle. Zelda's theory was that he was simply staying inside the walls because his attack was going to be in the time window of a month, so he was going to stay to attack from the inside. Although this made Link anxious to get going on his mission, Zelda still insisted that he would stay for at least one day.

A few times, they would run into General Amentaris. They would usually have short chats, because he was usually either on duty, leading some of his soldiers, or training some new recruits. Link was worried about Amentaris, because being the military leader, Amentaris himself would have to lead his soldiers into battle when the day comes, putting himself in danger. He saw that Amentaris was looking a little grim. Perhaps he was still worrying about the alliance with Ganondorf.

"It's amazing," Zelda said after a long conversation. "You've come so far just to speak with me, because it was the Deku Tree's dying wish. Did he ever tell you why?"

"He said to go see you, because he knew that you would explain everything."

"…and, did he tell you what "everything" was?"

Link shook his head despairingly.

"It was too late for him," he said. "His end was nigh, and he could only tell me briefly what I had to do. If only he held out a little longer, then I would've been prepared for this."

Link sounded a little grim. He was now reminded of the frightening figure of the deceased Deku Tree. What was once a beautiful giant, with healthy and thick bark, giant green leaves absorbing the sun, and with rays of sunlight poking out through the spaces between the gaps, making a scene that would be ideal for a painting, was now symbolizing death and despair. Link knew that the bark was now black and cold as mountain stone. The Deku Tree's leaves were flaking off of his canopy, covering the ground in his former legacy. Deep inside his roots, there are massive cave-ins because of Gohma's previous feasting of his life. The Deku Tree's figure now struck fear into Link's heart. It didn't represent death as it would to most people, but to Link, it represented evil…it represented Ganondorf. Ganondorf slaughtered the Deku Tree for something that neither of them had. This act filled Link with uncontrollable anger. He swore to himself that he would get the Triforce before Ganondorf did, and once that was done, he knew that he would be stronger than ever, and that's when he was going to kill him.

"What's wrong?" Zelda interrupted, ending Link's train of thought.

"Oh, um…nothing. Nothing's wrong."

Zelda seemed a bit confused.

"Are you sure? You seemed angry for a second there. You're positive nothing is troubling you?"

Link waved a hand.

"No, just forget it, okay? Just forget it…"

They turned a corner into the castle's main lobby. This was supposedly where Link would be if he had entered through the drawbridge, if it was down. There were quite a few guards patrolling here. Luckily, now that everyone was aware of his presence, they didn't go running after Link. Link amused himself by imagining the sight of everyone going after him and yelling.

There was a small growl below him. Link looked down, expecting to see a new enemy, but only saw his stomach; he was hungry. He now realized that he hadn't eaten in quite a while, and he wasn't sure if they would let him dine with the royal family. Now that he realized that he was starving, he had to ask Zelda what he could eat around here.

"Zelda…"

"What?"

"Do you have any…you know…"

Zelda looked at him in a "spit it out" kind of look.

"Food?"

Zelda laughed.

"Well, we wouldn't be well off if we didn't, would we?"

Link blushed.

"I think dinner will be ready soon. Can you wait until then?" she asked.

"What? You think I'll be able to eat with you?"

"Of course," she replied. "It's not like we reject people who aren't members of the family, as long as you have some connection with us. I'm sure that they are already preparing your share. I know that Ganondorf will be there, so as long as you don't mind his presence…"

"I think I'll be able to handle it for a while."

Link and Zelda began walking down the red carpet, which was laid between several columns. Most of the guards were patrolling on the black and white tiled floor on the other side of the pillars. Link looked on ahead and saw two figures walking down the carpet. He squinted, and saw that they were Impa and General Amentaris. The general seemed to be off duty, seeing that he was having a pleasant conversation with Zelda's attendant. Impa managed to catch Link and Zelda ahead of her. She waved her hand towards her, signalling them to come to her. They sped up a little, as Amentaris noticed that they were there. They finally caught up to one another, with Impa smiling warmly. Amentaris' eyes seemed to be drifting somewhere else.

"Hey, you two. They are serving dinner now. Link, you are welcome to join us if you want."

"Thank you, I'm starving."

"Well, you'll be like that for a long time if you don't hurry up," mentioned Amentaris. "It is ready now, and they aren't going to wait."

"Hey, go easy on him," said Impa as she elbowed the general in the arm. He laughed. "Come on, this way. We can catch it in time if we hurry," said Impa, beckoning them to follow her, and of course, they proceeded behind her.

* * *

"_Wipe that grin off your face! That's my rock!"_

"_No! I found it first!"_

"_Did not!"_

"_Did so!"_

_The two Gorons were fighting over a rock from Dodongo's cavern. It was the only food they've seen in days, so it was no mystery why there was such a quarrel over it._

_The two were rather close to the huge boulder blocking the entrance to the cave. It wasn't like they were oblivious to what was lurking inside; they knew that they couldn't come out. The only thing that was bothering them right now is who gets the rock and who doesn't._

"_All right!" one finally burst out. "I'm going to toss the rock into the air, and the first one to catch it gets the rock, okay?"_

"_Fine…" replied the other Goron impatiently. The first Goron spit into one of his hands, while holding the rock underneath his arm. He rubbed his hands together, and then took the rock out from under his arm and into his hands. He brought the rock down low, and then threw it upwards. The two Gorons moved around the ground while looking up, trying to get under the rock. One of them shouted._

"_I got it! I got it!"_

_He opened up his arms to catch the rock as it came plummeting towards him. The other Goron rushed towards him to try and get it as well. Just before the rock was about to fall right into the Goron's hands, another hand caught them, and they weren't the other Goron's. This hand looked reptilian. It had green, scaly skin, and black claws that looked like they could tear through anything. The Goron turned to the hand's owner: a Lizalfos! It was staring at him, and was sneering with its razor sharp teeth showing._

"_What do we have here? Stealing food from the cavern, are we?"_

_The Goron tried to calm the Lizalfos down._

"_No, we found it, it was lying right there!"_

"_I'm sure you did," replied the Lizalfos shrewdly. Its tongue was flicking in and out of its mouth. He looked like he was looking for trouble._

"_Look," said the other Goron. "We don't want any problems. Just take the rock. We don't need it."_

"_But I already have it," sneered the foul creature, tossing the rock up and down in his hand. "And I think you've already eaten some."_

"_No! We haven't eaten in days! This is the only food we've seen in so long!"_

"_Well, I guess there is only one way to find out," said the Lizalfos as it withdrew its sword from its scabbard. "I'll cut you open!"_

_The Lizalfos began advancing towards the Goron, who backed away slowly from the monster's menacing blade. The Lizalfos' grin almost went from ear to ear because of his satisfaction, seeing the Goron backing away in terror. The blade was reflecting the sunlight, and was partially blinding the Goron as he tried to keep away from it. As he took one more step back, he was stopped by a wall; a dead end! The Lizalfos chuckled, as it inched closer and closer. It pointed its sword at the Goron's throat, almost piercing the skin._

"_Now…let's see what you have in that stomach of yours!"_

_It drew back the sword. The Goron braced himself. He expected to die in a split second, and that everything would go black, but none such things happened; he heard a choking noise instead. The Goron opened his eyes, and saw a dramatic sight: his friend had leapt onto the Lizalfos' back and had it caught in a headlock. The Lizalfos was struggling to get the Goron off, but was failing._

"_Curse you! You feeble nuisance!" choked the Lizalfos as he staggered around, trying to get the Goron off his back._

"_Run! Run!" yelled the Goron as he continued to hold on to the creature's neck. Hearing this, the first one decided to flee and call for help. He bolted around the flailing Lizalfos, and tried to make a brake for it back to the city, but was stopped. Another Lizalfos had jumped in front of him, and had blocked his way. Before the Goron could manoeuvre around it, the creature outstretched a ghoulish hand and caught the Goron by the head. It lifted him up like he was a mere doll, and advanced towards the other thrashing Lizalfos._

"_Gah! You insect! Get off me!" yelled the Lizalfos. The one that was carrying the Goron had now withdrawn its sword and hand pointed it at the Goron on the other's back._

"_Let go of him," growled the Lizalfos bitterly. "Or I will rip you to shreds!"_

_The Goron turned around to see the fiend's jagged blade pointing at him. He slowly let go of the Lizalfos, who dropped onto one knee, trying to catch its breath. This new Lizalfos dropped the first Goron and herded both of them a few feet away from the gigantic boulder._

"_It is a shame," coughed the strangled Lizalfos at it got up from the ground. "For you two to be so conceited."_

"_Do you know what we do to Gorons that attack us?" said the other as it spat on the ground._

"_No…" said one of the Gorons as the other fell silent._

"_Well," snickered one of the fiends as it took a long lick of its blade. "I guess we'll have to show you two!"_

_They both chuckled as they began to advance on the poor Gorons from both sides. One of the monsters looked like it was ready to eat them alive with its knife-like teeth showing. The other looked like it was ready to kill them slowly, torturing them. The two Lizalfos were now in striking distance. The two Gorons began to say their prayers._

"_Ah, familiar cries," said one of the Lizalfos as it drew back its blade. "Now, enjoy your demise!"_

_Suddenly, the two monsters were knocked off their feet by what seemed like an earthquake._

"_What!"_

_Another earthquake. It was getting louder and stronger._

"_What is going on? Could it-"_

_Everyone must've been launched a foot off the ground when the next quake. Now they all realized that these were no minor earthquakes, they were massive footsteps! A giant figure began to emerge over the massive boulder._

"_It's King Dodongo!" exclaimed one of the Lizalfos as they both stood up and bowed. King Dodongo seemed a little ticked. Smoke was billowing out of his nose, flaring out faster with each breath. His head alone was almost as big as the giant boulder blocking the cavern._

"_What is going on here? Why aren't you two at your posts?" he growled._

"_We weren't deserting you, my lord," said one of the Lizalfos._

"_We found these two Gorons stealing some rocks from the cave!" accused the other as it stood up and pointed at the Gorons. King Dodongo turned to them._

"_Is this true?" he snarled._

"_No, sir," said one of the Gorons. "We only found one outside of the cavern! We never intruded!"_

_This seemed to make the tyrant even madder. He turned back to his minions._

"_You left your posts to take care of Gorons who weren't even intruding!"_

"_It's not like that, sire! It's not like that at all!"_

"_My companion here merely checked to see what they were up to, and he was suddenly attacked by one of them. I came to assist him, and to take care of these aggressors."_

_The giant villain seemed to be even more furious at this. With his teeth now bearing, he turned back to the Gorons again._

"_You attacked my soldiers!"_

"_No! We…" said one of them as it stood up, but then his expression faded. "Yes…" King Dodongo seemed to be burning up with rage now._

"_You little pests! I should've known not to trust you! That's it! Because of your foolish actions, your city will be destroyed within a week! I hope your deaths are slow and exceedingly painful!"_

"_You can't do that!" yelled the other Goron as it leapt to its feet. King Dodongo seemed baffled by this._

"_What did you just say?"_

"_You can't just attack our city like that! You have orders to stay in the cavern!"_

"_I am the King of Beasts! I can do whatever I want!" roared the mighty king._

"_No! You can't! You remain loyal to Ganondorf! You are a slave to his will! In a way, you are not even a king! You are as powerless as every insect around you!"_

_King Dodongo's eyes widened with uncontrollable anger. The smoke coming from his nostrils became small bursts of flame. The Goron continued with his accusations despite the obvious tremendous increase in King Dodongo's fury._

"_You are a fool! No one would ever bow to you if you weren't such a large creature! When your death reaches you, no one will even remember you! Go ahead! Take our city! It doesn't matter, because you will always have enemies, and eventually, you will be the one begging for mercy!"_

_King Dodongo's eyes seemed to almost burst out of their sockets. He lifted his head, opened his mouth, and shot mountains of flames into the air. The heat that reached the Gorons and the Lizalfos was so intense, they had to shield their faces and close their eyes, for they feared that they were going to burst into flames as well. The inferno seemed to make a stream of fire a mile long. King Dodongo was so irate; the firestorm lasted for maybe even a minute. Even the air around them seemed to burn up as well, for they began to have a hard time breathing. King Dodongo stopped his fire blast, and looked at the Goron who had put him down, bearing his teeth, with small flames still escaping through the spaces. His voice was not raised, but anger could still be sensed through it._

"_Pretentious little bug…" he said, trying to keep himself from devouring them. "Kill them both."_

_The mighty King Dodongo slowly slipped back into the cavern. His giant rumbling footsteps gradually faded away. The two Lizalfos almost jumped up with glee._

"_I thought he'd never ask!" said one of them, as they both lifted up their swords, and struck.

* * *

_

"Are you enjoying your dinner, Link?" asked the king.

"Yes, thank you," he replied. Link had been observing how everyone else was using their tools to eat their dinner. Apparently, it was quite simple. There was the spoon, which Link was familiar with from his lunch with Malon. There were two new ones though. Zelda helped him out with using them. There was a tool with four sharp points, called a fork, which was meant for stabbing solid pieces of food to hold them in place, or lift them into his mouth. The knife, which was a lot like a miniature sword, was meant for slicing food into more manageable pieces. At first, Link tried cutting the food by hacking at it like he would with a sword, but was then told he had to use it like a saw. Link found that sawing it made it much easier to cut the food. The food itself was delicious. Link loved Hylian food!

The king was sitting at the end of the table. Everyone else was sitting on the longer sides of the table. Zelda was sitting closest to her father, and across from her was General Amentaris. Link was sitting next to Zelda, and opposite him was Impa. Beside Impa was the one and only Ganondorf, chewing viciously into his meal.

"So, Link," said the king. Now that Link introduced himself earlier, people started calling him by his name. "Zelda tells me you are from the forest. So the legends are true?"

"I suppose so," said Link. He was surprised Kokiri Forest was only a mere legend in these parts.

"What is it like?" asked the king interestedly.

"Well…" Link tried to think up of the most unusual things in the forest as opposed to here. "Our homes are made from hollowed out stumps of trees."

"Really?" said the king as he took a bite out of his steak. He looked up, as it trying to recall something. "I heard, in the legend, that there was a spirit in the forest. It was something that gave life to you children."

"Oh, do you mean the Deku Tree?"

The king pointed a finger at Link.

"That's it!" he exclaimed.

"The Deku Tree…" said Ganondorf, looking up from his plate. He had an extremely deep and menacing voice. Almost like the growl of a monster. "How is he keeping?" Ganondorf was staring at Link with his wicked eyes. They seemed to be piercing into his mind. It was obvious what Ganondorf wanted to hear. Link turned to Zelda. She nodded.

"He…recently passed away."

"Hm…" said Ganondorf as he turned back to his plate, seeming to hold back a grin. "Pity…"

"Indeed," said the king. "What happened?"

Link looked at Ganondorf. He was looking at him again. Link couldn't say in front of the king that Ganondorf murdered him. He had to say something else.

"I'm not sure. Old age, I suppose."

Ganondorf turned away.

"These things happen," Link continued. "Life goes on, I guess."

Ganondorf chuckled.

"What's so funny?" asked Amentaris. Ganondorf waved a hand casually.

"Nothing. I was just thinking of something amusing."

"Well, if the Deku Tree is gone," continued the king. "What will make new children?"

Link never considered that. What _would_ make new Kokiri? If there was no Deku Tree, than they would surely become extinct!

"You know, I've never really thought about it. I'm sure we'll find something."

"I hope so," said the king while taking another bite. "We could use a few lads like you."

Amentaris seemed to be surveying Link's weapons strapped to his back.

"Link," he said. "Do you mind passing me your sword? I want to see it for a second."

"Sure."

Link carefully withdrew his sword, and passed it to the general. He held it by its grip, and looked upon the blade. Suddenly, he took a few swings at the air, making everyone at the table, except for Ganondorf, flinch.

"It's perfectly balanced," said Amentaris as he ran his finger across the sharp edge of the blade. He grunted and quickly took his finger off the blade and looked at it. It was bleeding. "…and sharp too." Amentaris seemed intrigued by Link's sword. "It's brilliant. It is like a sword designed for a child. It is too large to be a dagger, but too small to be a sword for an adult. Plus, it is also a fine sword on its own. If it were full sized, it would be fit for a high ranking officer." Amentaris handed Link's sword back to him. "Take care of it. It is a good sword." Link put the sword back into its sheath.

"Oh," said the king suddenly. "That reminds me. Link, rumour has it that you were the one that slew Queen Gohma."

Ganondorf seemed to choke one the piece food that he was eating and spat it onto his plate. Link tried not to chuckle at Ganondorf's astonishment, but he no longer found it amusing when Ganondorf eyed Link with a shocked but angry look.

"Well? Is it true?" asked the king.

"…yes"

"Impressive," he complimented. "I think it's about time the creature got what it deserved. You must be skilled in the ways of the sword. Am I right, General?"

Amentaris nodded, smiling. Ganondorf said nothing. Link was worried, because Ganondorf now knew that he was against him as well.

"Well, that was a nice conversation, Link," said the king as he got up from his chair, now that he was finished his meal. He was the first one done, and everyone got their plates taken away from them, possibly from tradition. Zelda got up from her chair, so Link followed. Everyone, with the king in front, left through a door with two guards standing on either side. It led into a hall that forked into two hallways. The king, Ganondorf, and Amentaris went right; Link, Zelda and Impa went left. Link looked back to Ganondorf, who was also looking back at him with his ill-omened eyes. Link quickly turned away. He didn't want any more thoughts about him going through Ganondorf's mind.

Impa was leading the way. Link was travelling through halls and passages that he would surely get lost in if he were on his own. He watched the fabric on the back of Zelda's headdress blow as she walked. The breeze caught underneath it, and was lifting it into the air slightly. Ripples were flowing through it like waves in a pond. The way that it moved put Link into some sort of trance. At first, he was just mystified by the way that it danced in the wind, but soon, Link began to see things in it. He saw the forest, and his house. The village was the same, as usual. It felt so good to see his home again. He saw Saria outside her house, waving to him. It felt so real, Link almost waved back. He was Mido and Rotu sitting by the river. Mido gave him a nod; he was being a little friendly for once! Link looked up towards the Lost Woods looming over the cliff. Something was wrong, however. He thought he saw something…moving? There was something in there. Suddenly, it was if Link's eyesight zoomed in to where the thing was. That's when he saw it. It was a pig-like creature, but had arms, hands, legs and feet like a human. It had dark brown skin, red eyes, and tusks that poking out of its mouth. It had gold plated armour with spikes on the shoulders. It had a large spear, and was holding it to the side. It was kneeling down, surveying the village. What was this creature doing? It looked unmistakably evil, but why would it be so close to his village? Suddenly, the creature stood up and roared what sounded like a battle cry. All of the Kokiri looked up in terror at the Lost Woods, as hundreds of these creatures charged out of the bushes; the village was under attack! The creatures flooded the village, killing everything in their path. Link saw Mido stand up as the army of beasts charged straight for him. He tried to make a break for it, but was trampled by the giant creatures. The Kokiri were being slaughtered! Link couldn't believe this terror. The monsters were carrying torches and were lighting homes on fire, including his own house! Link wanted to fight, but there was nothing he could do. Saria was running towards him. It was if she needed him to do something, because she looked desperate. Suddenly, her pupils shrank, and her face went a ghostly white. Blood slowly trickled out of her mouth, and ran down her chin. Link looked at her stomach, and saw that she had been impaled by a spear. One of the creatures was right behind her, and had stabbed her! The creature tossed Saria's lifeless body aside and then drew back its bloody spear. It roared, and thrust the spear at Link's face.

Link screamed and fell to the ground. He was back in the castle again. Zelda and Impa turned around, shocked. Everything was going all hazy, and then started fading out. All Link could hear was Zelda talking to him.

"Link…? Link! Link…"

It went black.

The next thing Link knew, he was in Zelda's bed, with Zelda herself looking at him. Everything went back into focus. Zelda seemed pleased that he had come back to his senses.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah…what happened?"

"That's what I would like to know. You just screamed and fell. You hit your head pretty hard."

Link tried to recall what happened.

"I was looking at the back of your headdress. Soon I saw images inside…the forest! I saw the forest!"

"Why would you see images in my headdress?"

Link thought he was as confused as Zelda was.

"I…don't know. Is there some sort of spell on it?"

"I don't think so," said Zelda as she took off her headdress and examined it. Taking it off revealed her long, golden hair. It reflected the moonlight coming in from the door, as if it was actually real gold. It moved almost as mystically as her headdress. It was like a river of gold, with an endless flow. Zelda's hair, in its full, made her look somewhat older. Before Link could compliment, Zelda had put her headdress back on, and was tucking her locks back into it.

"What else did you see?" she asked as she slipped her remaining threads of hair back into place. It was hard for Link to recall his memories of what just happened, because he knew that they weren't real.

"I…saw my friends. They were all happy, and healthy. It was life as usual. They were waving at me, and I saw…"

"What did you see?"

Link knew he saw something in the Lost Woods, but what? It was something evil. The images were slowly coming back to him.

"I saw a creature in the Lost Woods. It looked like a soldier of some sort. It looked sort of like a pig, with golden armour…"

"That sounds a lot like a Moblin. Is that what you saw?"

"A Moblin?"

"The Moblin is another standard soldier in Ganondorf's army next to the Lizalfos. They are not stealthy, but deadly nonetheless. Anyway, what else did you see?"

"It was watching the village, and then it let out some sort of war cry, and it…"

Link suddenly sat up. Everything had now come back to him.

"What did it do? What happened?"

"Hundreds of them came out of the forest. It was like a sea of Moblins, and they attacked the village. Everyone was dying. I watched Saria die before my very eyes, and the Moblin that killed her struck at me. That's when I snapped out of it."

"That's horrible!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Do you think it means anything?"

"I don't know. It may…but, why would Moblins attack your village?"

"Maybe they wanted something…wait, then why would they be slaughtering everyone instead of taking them prisoner to question them?"

"No, they must've come just to destroy the village, or, take it over!" Zelda's eyes widened when she said this. She looked at Link with a look of worry. "What you saw, may be what might happen if Ganondorf succeeds in obtaining the Triforce! He is going to take over the whole world with his minions, instead of simply ruling over the people that already exist!"

"What? Why would he want to do that?"

"I don't know…but I'm sure he has his reasons, the main one I'm sure is far too deep within him to be observed. All we can do is make sure he does not touch the Triforce."

"Okay…" said Link as he lay back down onto the bed. He wondered if what he saw was something that was actually going to happen, or what could happen if he didn't do anything. He was afraid it was going to be immanent. He couldn't bear to watch his friends be killed in front of him. He realized that Ganondorf's forces were stronger than he realized. The Hylian forces didn't stand a chance against such uncontrolled abhorrence. Link couldn't imagine how the people Hyrule Castle Town would be affected once the castle itself had been captured. Massive death awaited these people, he knew, and that it wouldn't be clean, either. The town would suffer, for it was impossible for everyone to escape at the moment of the attack.

Zelda was rocking back and forth on the edge of the bed. Link was on top of it, not covered by any of the sheets. Zelda didn't look like she wanted to stay here for long.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" she asked suddenly. "It's quite nice outside, and I think you should get some fresh air."

"Sounds like fun," Link said as he jumped out of the bed. Zelda smiled and got up as well.

"Follow me," she said.

Link followed Zelda out of her bedroom, and into her garden where he first met her. It was night time now, as Link had noticed before. Everything seemed different at night. Not only was it much more tranquil, but things seemed to act in a different way. The flowers in Zelda's garden swayed in the gentle night wind. The grass below Link's feet moved in waves, making ripples as if it were a pond. The only sounds that could be heard were Link and Zelda's footsteps, their breathing, and the rustling of the grass and flowers.

"Shh…we don't want to wake anyone up, okay?"

"Okay," Link whispered back. They approached the other side of the room, where a brick wall and the moat patrolling the perimeter of the room blocked their path.

"You don't mind if your feet get wet, do you?" she whispered to him.

"No…I think I'll be fine."

Zelda lifted up her dress and slowly stepped into the water, which was only about two inches deep. Link came in with a small splash behind Zelda. She seemed to be looking at the wall, searching for something.

"Which one was it…?" she said, talking to herself. "Ah, this one!"

She delicately placed her right index finger on one of the bricks. She traced some kind of design onto the brick. It started as what looked like a figure eight, then slowly transformed into a circle. Zelda then crossed her imaginary shape twice, and let her finger off of the wall. A few moments passed, and Zelda continued to stare at the wall. Link began to get confused as to what was happening.

"What are we waiting for?"

Zelda lifted up a finger.

"Hang on. Just wait a few more seconds."

Link crossed his arms impatiently. All he understood at this point was that Zelda scribbled an invisible design on one of the bricks, and they were waiting for something, and what was that "something" anyway?

Link was about to speak again, when he was hushed by something else. The bricks in front of him and Zelda began to shift and rotate. They moved in such a way that there was an opening beginning to form in the centre. The bricks continued to turn, move, and wind, as the opening got larger and larger. Soon, Link could see a hallway behind the stirring bricks. Once the opening was roughly five feet wide, the bricks ceased to move.

"There we are," said Zelda. "I am the only one who knows of this passageway. I discovered it when I was drawing on the wall when I was young. If we walk through this passageway," she pointed a finger towards the path, now revealed. "We will be on a secret balcony, overlooking the city. Come on."

Zelda went ahead, and walked down the somewhat dark corridor. Link followed cautiously. He was careful not to look at Zelda's headdress again, because he was afraid he would see horrible things again. The light in the hall seemed to fade as they went along. There were many stones and pebbles, and foliage growing in this passage, showing that it is truly secret. Sooner than Link could get a good look at the passage, it was pitch black.

"Oh, dear…" said Zelda, not that Link could see her now. "Link, do you mind letting your fairy out? This path isn't usually this dark."

"Okay…hang on."

Link shook his cap a little, and then took it off. The room was lit once again by Navi's glow.

"Navi? Wake up. We need you for a moment."

Navi flew out his cap numbly. Her eyes seemed a little droopy when she was close enough to Link to see them. Suddenly, when she looked at Link, she burst out at him.

"Do you know how hard it is to stay, hour after hour, in that cap of yours! I could hardly breathe! Yet you don't even show any signs of remorse! What is wrong with you?"

"Okay…I'm sorry."

Navi crossed her arms impatiently, and looked around the corridor.

"Where are we, anyway?"

"We're still in Hyrule Castle, Navi. Zelda and I are going for a walk, and we simple need you to light our way."

Navi began to proceed down the hallway

"Have you two ever heard of a candle?"

* * *

"_I'm sorry, Malon. I didn't mean to worry you like that."_

"_You think worrying me was the only thing you did wrong? What about Link? He had to go and get you, risking being caught by the guards! Do you feel any shame for him?"_

"_Yes! Of course! I'm sorry…" _

_Malon and Talon had left Hyrule Castle Town were about to arrive home at Lon Lon Ranch. Malon was still irritated at Talon for sleeping on the job. They were riding on the same carriage that they left on, and were riding across the blazing hot grasses of Hyrule Field. However, the heat from the sun was no hotter than the heat coming from Malon's forehead due to her fury. They were approaching the ranch now. The only thing that pleased Malon at this point was that the ranch wasn't on fire. Talon steered the cart onto the pathway that lead inside the ranch. Things seemed to get a little cooler here for some odd reason. Talon turned to his daughter, who seemed to be a little calmer now that they were home._

"_Malon, I messed up bad. I'm really sorry, so I got you something."_

_Malon looked up from her feet. A look of shock, confusion, and excitement all mixed into one expression was displayed on her face._

"_What? You got me something?"_

"_I never wanted to give it to you, but I think I should, since I was such a letdown." Talon stopped the cart. He got up out of the seat and went into the back. He shuffled through a bunch of boxes and empty milk crates, and pulled out a small chest. It wasn't a fancy chest; it was more like an antique. Talon slowly lifted the lid with a loud creak. There was dust flying out of it and went everywhere. The chest seemed to be full of yellowing papers. After a few moments of sorting through the documents, he finally pulled out one. He blew off most of the dust, and then brushed off the rest. He handed it to Malon as he made his way back up to the front seat and put the carriage in motion again. Malon looked at the piece of paper. It was a song! There were no words, just notes. It was called Melody of the Sun and Pasture. It looked pretty simple, but Malon had to see what it sounded like. She was a pretty good singer, and could read notes on a page and put them in her vocal chords. She observed the notes, and began to hum them. The music was soothing, and beautiful in its own way. It was almost like it was meant for her voice._

"_Your mother wrote that song, before she passed away of course. She never got around to finishing it, so, just before she died, she told me to put a repeat sign at the end of the song, so that whoever sings it can sing it as long as they want."_

_Malon was deeply saddened by this. She had never known her mother. She died when Malon was just a baby. This song was now all she had to know her by. She had only had it for a minute, but it was already precious to her._

_They began to pull in beside the stable. Since Malon now had something to know her mother by, she had to ask her father about her._

"_Daddy," she began. "How did my mother die?"_

_Talon stopped the cart suddenly. A look of fear blazed in his eyes. He looked down._

"_Do you really want to know that?"_

"_Well, yeah. I have to know how she died. She's my mother."_

_Talon sighed solemnly. He closed his eyes, trying to recall what he tried to forget._

"_It was a normal day. Your mother and I were on a regular shipping trip to the castle. We had left you in the hands of Mr. Ingo, as usual. He did take good care of you, by the way. Anyway, we were approaching the halfway point from home to the city, when we were stopped by a strange man on horseback. He had a bunch of thugs behind him, on foot, and they didn't seem to be the nicest of people. The man himself was terrifying. He had black armour and a small cape that only went to about the middle of his back. He had red hair, and wicked eyes that seemed to be glowing. He called his horse Darkstorm. The thugs behind him didn't seem human though. They wore hooded cloaks, so I couldn't see their faces. Some of them seemed to grunt like pigs, and others hissed like serpents. The man claimed that he was a supply inspector, and wanted to check our milk. Of course, I let his thugs rummage through our supplies. They broke a lot of bottles, so I began to get suspicious. Once the thugs began to reach the chest containing your mother's music, I had to stand up. The man and his thugs seemed to be enraged by my actions, so they threw me aside and went for your mother. The man threatened to kill her, and he demanded that I would give up my shipment. I willingly agreed, and half of his brutes took our carriage away. However, the man used some sort of supernatural spell, and sucked the life out of your mother. He galloped away, and the rest of his muggers followed him, leaving me with your mother dying in my arms. That's when she told me what to do with her song."_

"_Who was that man?"_

"_I don't know, and I'd be damned if I found out, because I'd kill him myself if I saw him."_

_Malon thought she was going to be sick. What kind of man would do such a thing? He was obviously evil. She was thankful, however, that Talon had stuck his neck out for the music. If he hadn't, then she would've never known her mother in music. On the other hand, if he didn't do anything, then her mother might've lived, but then again the man was probably going to kill them both. She couldn't believe that that story had been kept secret from her for so many years._

_She looked at the music sheet again as the wagon came to a stop at the stable. She began to hum it again. The music flowed through her like it was alive. Talon got off the wagon as Malon continued to sing. Soon, she felt breathing on the back of her neck. She turned around, and saw Epona._

"_Oh, hello Epona!" she said as she hugged Epona's head. "Do you like this song?"

* * *

_

"It's a beautiful view, isn't it?"

"Wonderful…"

Link, Zelda and Navi had just reached the secret balcony from the corridor where Navi was introduced. The balcony wasn't really big; it was only big enough to hold four or five people. It was lined with a beautiful marble barrier, and the floor seemed to be made out of silver. From here, Link could see all of Hyrule Castle town. Its unique six-point star formation was outlined by torches that lined the streets. They were looking at the night sky from above instead of below. Various sounds and music could be heard blasting from the busy city, now settling in for the night. Link could also see the castle grounds, well lit by many torches. The guards seemed to be greater in number now that it was night, by common sense. The clouds seemed to be almost multicoloured from the different lights radiating from the city. They were beautiful, yet intimidating. Hyrule Field could barely be seen over the horizon. It was only until now that Link realized how far away from home he actually was. This world was still alien to him, and he still missed the forest. He missed Saria.

Once he thought about her, he stopped his thoughts. He hadn't been thinking about her in a long time. He in love with her…wasn't he? If his feelings were true, then she would be flowing in his blood, but she didn't. He didn't know what to feel. Sure, he missed her, but did he only miss her as a friend? Was he ever in love with her in the first place? He had to ask someone, and Navi would defiantly not be the answer. He would have to ask Zelda.

"Zelda?"

Zelda seemed to snap out of something.

"What is it?"

"If you're in love with someone…"

Zelda already seemed to be sucked into this subject.

"Go on," she said.

"Would you say that the couple would flow in each other's minds, every hour of the day?"

"Of course," she said. "If they didn't they wouldn't be in love."

"I see…" said Link sadly. "Then it never was."

Zelda let out a short chuckle.

"Are you talking about Saria?"

"Yes…"

"I had a feeling you didn't love her. You never did, did you?"

"No…I never did."

"Aww…cheer up. What have you lost?"

Link sighed.

"Nothing…"

"Why would you fall in love with someone now? How old are you…10?"

"Somewhere around there. We don't keep track of our age in the forest…but why would I kiss her?"

Zelda shrugged.

"I guess you two were so overwhelmed with emotions when you departed, you both happened to interpret those emotions as love, which they weren't."

Link thought about that for a moment or two.

"I guess that kind of makes sense."

"How well do you know Saria?"

Link flinched.

"What?"

"Just tell me."

"I guess I know her pretty well. We've known each other for years."

"Are there things you don't know about her?"

"I suppose so. I mean, I'm not a mind reader."

"How well do you know me?"

Link might've flinched a little.

"What? Are you comparing my knowledge of her to you?"

"Yes. Tell me."

Link thought for a moment.

"I…guess I know you kind of well."

"Would you say you know me as well as you know her?"

Now Link began to get a little irritated.

"Why should I tell you! How long have I known you…a day! Besides, is it really your business!"

Zelda backed up a few steps.

"Link, what's gotten into you?"

Link stopped and rubbed his forehead.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry. It's just that –"

"You're a little depressed."

"I suppose so…" he sighed. It seemed Zelda always know how Link was feeling. Perhaps they had some sort of connection? They were silent for a while. Maybe they both just wanted to think for a while before they would say anything more. Zelda looked over the city and into the almost pitch black Hyrule Field. Her eyes gazed carefully, as if she had zoomed in and was looking at the grasses close up. It looked like she had noticed something. She gasped suddenly.

"Link, grab the telescope off the wall behind you!"

"What's a telescope?"

"This is a telescope!" yelled Navi from behind him, floating by a tube-like instrument. Link quickly grabbed it off the wall.

"What do I do with this?"

"Put one end up to your eye and look through. You can see faraway with it," Zelda replied hurriedly. Link put the telescope up to his right eye, and looked down the long shaft. Indeed, he could see far with this instrument. He could see people in Hyrule Castle town. It seemed that it was a lot less crowded now, obviously because it was late. Zelda quickly grabbed the front of the telescope and directed it to Hyrule Field.

"Hang on, I almost have it…"

She stopped the telescope at a certain point among the tall grasses.

"There! Do you see anything?"

All Link could see was the dimly lighted grass.

"No…all I see is…wait…"

Link saw something moving…two things! They were moving quickly over the hills.

"I see two things moving, but I can't make them out because it's too dark."

"Keep following them for a few seconds. Let your eyes adjust."

Link continued to watch the two things move across the field. They had to be moving at an incredible speed. Things seemed to get a little clearer, just as Zelda said they would. The two things appeared to be men, riding on horseback, explaining why they were moving so fast. They were travelling to the west of the city, going somewhere else. As things became more visible, Link began to question if they were actually men. They seemed too big to be men, and their horses had to be giants to support them. Once everything came into vision, Link concluded that their horses were real, but the men were Moblins. They looked exactly the same as from his hallucination. Their eyes glowed like two red twinkling stars in the night sky.

"There're two Moblins on horseback, travelling to the west."

"That's what I saw," she replied. "Usually they wouldn't be out this far unless they were in a large group. The only think I can think of is that they are just about finished gathering their numbers. I once saw a massive group of about 300 Moblins marching towards the west just as these two. Now that the numbers I've been seeing are fewer, that means that Ganondorf's full strength is almost mustered. I know the attack will be massive: Ganondorf's handpicked servants from the West, King Dodongo's forces from the Northeast, and Phantom's forces from the East."

"Phantom? Who's that?"

"You've never heard of him?"

Link shook his head.

"Phantom is one of Ganondorf's elite generals, like King Dodongo. His forces aren't as strong as they used to be, but they are building up fast. They aren't ready for a full scale attack by themselves, but they will be in a matter of time. The Moblins attacking the forest in your dream were probably loyal to him."

"The East…wait…isn't that the forest!"

"Well, yes."

"Then my friends are in danger!"

"No, no. I said that Phantom's strength has thinned. He won't attack for at least a few years, because he is saving up his troops for the raid of Hyrule Castle. All your friends need to do is stay in the village and not enter the heart of the forest."

"The Lost Woods." Link concluded.

"What? Lost Woods?"

"That's what we Kokiri call the heart of the forest."

"Kokiri? Is that what you call yourselves?"

Link nodded.

"I see," said Zelda. "Usually out here we either call you legendary children, forest people or fairy people."

Link laughed.

"Fairy people? That's pretty good."

Zelda shrugged.

"Hey, I didn't make it up. Kokiri…I think that's a better name. It's one word."

Link nodded and sighed at the same time. He looked down at the settling city.

"What's wrong?" Zelda asked sympathetically. Link sighed again.

"To think of something that felt so real and the figuring out that it never was…it's overwhelming."

"Aww…come here."

Zelda opened up her arms, inviting Link to hug her. Link couldn't say no, so he went ahead and embraced. Zelda gave him a little bit of a squeeze and let go.

"Do you feel better?"

"A little, I guess."

"I guess it might take some time. You'll get over it eventually." Zelda looked up at the moon. "I think it's getting a little too late. We should go to bed." Zelda turned around to the tunnel. Navi went ahead to light the way. Link began to follow. "Oh and by the way," she said. "It is quite an honour to hug a princess."

Link laughed at her last comment, and they proceeded through the hallway.

* * *

"_Bah, what are they going to do, anyway? Poke me?"_

_A Lizalfos had just informed King Dodongo that the Gorons had found the two that were slaughtered earlier. The mighty king was now back in his preferred room in the cavern._

"_Very well, master. In other news, Ganondorf has informed us that the ranks are almost fully gathered._

"_It's a pity," said the tyrant. "I do like this place. It would be nice to come back after the attack."_

"_Indeed, it would, my lord."_

_King Dodongo suddenly sensed something. He didn't know exactly what it was, but it slowly came to him. He closed his eyes, and saw a silhouette of a human, followed by some tiny light. Queen Gohma's corpse was in the background. The figure was moving towards him. The king opened his eyes, and chuckled._

"_Prepare the ranks for tomorrow. The slayer of Queen Gohma is heading this way."_

"_What! Here?"_

"_Indeed. He is probably looking for me, and he shall meet me in person. When he is spotted, bring him to me, alive, not matter what the costs. I shall deal with him myself, if it is what he wants. A warrior with that strength deserves it anyway."_

"_Yes, master. I will let the forces know of the slayer of Queen Gohma. It shall be a day he will never forget."

* * *

_

Link was now in Zelda's bed. This time the covers were on him. He had his hands behind his head and was staring at the ceiling. The Kokiri only had one pair of clothes, so they would either sleep in them or go naked. Obviously, Link didn't want to go nude in front of Zelda, so he kept his clothes on. Zelda had gone into her dressing room, which was in one of the doors in the hall adjacent to her bedroom to change into her nightgown. Navi was already asleep on Link's cap, which he had put on the floor for her. Her light had dimmed dramatically, now that she was asleep. Link wondered how hard it was going to be to climb Death Mountain tomorrow, and he wondered if he was going to run into King Dodongo himself. What if he knew that he was coming already? How would he retaliate, with all of the forces he brandishes? Link was but one person, and King Dodongo had hundreds. If Dodongo had merely hundreds by himself, Ganondorf's servants in the west would probably total in the thousands! If he were to take on Dodongo's forces, then he would probably need some extra training, but how? It was late enough already, and he was supposed to leave first thing the next morning. Who would bother training him anyway? What skilful swordsmen did he know that would be willing to teach him the ways of steel?

Zelda finally walked into the room with her nightgown on. It flowed in the air as if it was set in slow motion. It was like she was under water. Her long hair soared just like her gown. She looked so enchanting, as she entered the room, Link completely forgot of tomorrow and his need for training. She gave him a quick smile as she got around to the left side of the bed. She gave him a "shove a bum" look, and Link inched over to the right side of the bed as Zelda hopped in. She shuffled a little as she got comfortable. When she stopped, the room seemed a little more silent than Link thought it would be. The paintings on the ceiling, that seemed to move when he looked at them, were now dead still. Link looked at Zelda. Her eyes were not yet closed, and she was also staring at the ceiling. She seemed to sense someone staring at her, so she looked at Link.

"Hello there," she said.

"What?"

Zelda laughed. Link decided to go along with it. It wasn't that he got the joke though. Zelda sat up, faced Link, and started wiggling her fingers at him as if she were casting a spell.

"Go to sleep…" she whispered. Link picked up his pillow and threw it at her. She screamed humorously, and threw it back at him.

"Shut up…shut up…" moaned Navi. It appeared that they woke her.

"Sorry. Okay, Zelda. We're going to sleep."

"Okay."

They both slammed their heads back onto their pillows. Link caught a piece of Zelda's hair in his mouth, and he spat it out. They both burst into hysterics. Quickly realizing that Navi's glow was growing intensely, they promptly said their "Good-nights" and were silent. Sooner that Link knew it; he fell asleep, as if he were forced to by a magic spell. Maybe Zelda's?

Link opened his eyes. He was in a white room. There were no doors, no windows, nothing but white. It was well lit, and no shadows were present. It must've been a dream. He had never seen a room like this. He realized that his cap was back on, and his sword and shield had been strapped back onto his back again. It had to be a dream.

"No, it's not a dream. Well…at least not entirely."

Link spun around to see General Amentaris with his arms crossed, wearing a smug grin.

"What's going on? Where is this? It's not a dream?"

"Slow down," said Amentaris as he let his palm get a good look at Link. "This isn't the real world, but it isn't a natural dream either."

"What?"

"Let me finish. This is an art I've mastered recently. It allows me to infiltrate your mind while you sleep. When you are awake, however, then I can only merely hear your thoughts. I understand that you want some training in swordplay?"

"Yes…yes I do."

"Well, today's your lucky day. I'm willing to teach you if you're up to it. We have lots of time to do it. Do you want me to teach you?"

"I suppose so. I mean, who else is going to help me. Plus, you're a master, aren't you?"

"Indeed, I am."

"Okay. I'll do it."

Amentaris laughed.

"Very good," he said. "Then we will commence immediately. Let's start with the basics, shall we? Draw your weapon."

Link obeyed, and ripped out his sword and shield. Amentaris stroked his chin.

"So far, so good," he said. "Now, show me your "ready" stance."

Link got into the position that he usually got in before a fight. He put his shield up and had his sword over his shoulder. Amentaris nodded affirmatively.

"Not bad…but…"

Amentaris walked over to Link, grabbed the arm that was holding the sword, and lifted it up a little higher.

"There we are. Now that's a fine offensive stance. Remember to have your shield not too close to your body, or else it won't do much for you. Keep the sword up high, so when you strike, you will have more force travelling through it. You would use this stance if you were fighting a warrior with equal skill, or if you're fighting more than one."

Link nodded.

"Now, let's get a defensive stance going. Bring your shield up a little higher, between your chest and your neck. That's it, now, take your sword and bring it behind the shield, making your arms form an "X". Ah, very good. You look intimidating already!"

Link chuckled slightly. "When do I use this stance?"

"It would be best to use it on large foes, or warriors with excelling skill, such as King Dodongo, for example, but I doubt you'd be fighting anything like that will you? Now, let's get on to the actual fighting."

The general waved his arms a little, and several black pillars arose from the ground. They were scattered in random places.

"Now, usually in a battle, you would find yourself in a situation like this: a one-on-one fight in a room with several pillars for cover. Now, let me teach you to deal with a warrior with two swords…"

Amentaris took out his twin swords. Their design was very threatening. They were basically like your average swords, but near the end, two separate blades were sticking out the sides, and four spikes were near the hilts.

"Normally, the warrior would have a position like this."

Amentaris had crouched down low, had one sword pointing at Link, and the other over his shoulder.

"This is the one that I prefer. Now, normally a warrior with two swords will get overconfident when he sees someone with only one, so he will attack first."

Amentaris charged at Link. Link didn't know what to do. Did he have to improvise? He got into the defensive position the general had just taught him. Amentaris stopped and clapped a few times.

"Good! Very good! It has already begun to flow into your reflexes. Anyway, the proper way to use the twin swords would be to deliver a vertical strike first. You can simply block it with your shield."

Amentaris swung vertically, and Link denied it with his wooden shield.

"By common sense, they would throw at horizontal blow now, so you use your sword for this one."

General Amentaris gave Link a horizontal swing for him to deal with, so Link turned his sword into a roadblock for Amentaris. They struggled a bit with each other.

"This is always a normal reaction to the other warrior. Whatever you do, do not let go of this struggle. Just look into the warrior's eyes, and try to intimidate him. Encourage him to draw back to attack you again. Curse him if you need too. Once he draws back, that is your time to thrust forward in a stabbing motion, and you have him. Let's do that now. Look at my eyes, Link."

Link stared at Amentaris with a threatening look.

"Good, now I am thinking I should finish you off, so I draw back…"

Amentaris took both of his swords back.

"…then you stab me…"

Link thrust for the general's gut, but stopped just before he made contact.

"…and I'm crippled. You can leave me to bleed to death, but it would be best to put me out of my misery. I would fall to my knees, and you could behead me if it suits your fancy."

Link shuddered a little, but nodded at the same time.

"Don't worry, you don't feel ashamed killing a monster as you would be killing a human. You'll get used to it eventually. Now, let's go on to defence against a warrior with a single sword."

Amentaris put away one of his swords and put the other in two hands.

"Now, the warrior's stance can vary with one sword. It's best to study what body parts are not well protected in the sword's position. You have to be ready for anything at this point. He will either attack you first, or you will have to attack him, unless you want to stand there for three hours. Now, suppose I'm not attacking, so you are going to have to charge at me yourself. Try it now."

Hearing Amentaris' latest instructions, Link charged at him offensively. Remembering his battle with Queen Gohma, he jumped up into the air and struck. Amentaris happened to catch the Kokiri Sword in the air with his, and did some kind of manoeuvre to transfer Link's impact back up into his sword, making Link fly back a few feet.

"That is a technique that will come to you naturally over time. What you did wrong is that you didn't look for an open space. You should've tried to go for my legs, and when I see you coming, I put my guard down low, and that's when you strike high."

"Okay. Can we try it again?"

"Sure thing."

Amentaris and Link backed up a few steps, and then Link tried the general's challenge again. With a burst of speed, he aimed down low. Amentaris answered with getting into a low block position. That was when Link jumped up and struck again, giving Amentaris no time to defend. Once Link followed through, his heart stopped. Did he just kill Hyrule's 6-star general? He started to panic.

"General Amentaris? Sir? Are you all right?"

Hysterics burst out from behind Link. He turned around, and saw the general with his arms crossed, laughing.

"It's all right. We can't physically arm each other in this simulation. The weapons simply go right through us. I think we've had enough practice for today," he said as he slipped his sword back into its sheath. He turned around, put his hands behind his back and paced. "Swordplay isn't really something that can be mastered by mere teaching. It is something that grows over time, like a living, breathing thing. It is beautiful, graceful, and at the same time, it can be vicious and deadly, depending on what nature the duel is." Amentaris turned to Link. "If you ever think you need to polish your skills, or learn some counter attacks to moves you experience, simply ask aloud for me, and I'll be happy to assist you when you go to sleep."

Link nodded. "Thank you. I really appreciate you help."

"It was my pleasure. Perhaps we will meat each other in person down the road sometime? Now, I think it's about time you should wake up. It should be about nine o'clock in the morning. I will see you again soon."

Soon, everything went hazy. Amentaris' figure soon blurred out of sight. Everything started changing colour. The white slowly became shades of pink, brown, red, and all sorts of colours. Then, everything came back into focus. Link could see Zelda's bed, her dresser, the door to her garden and the door to the hall. He had woken up. He was surprisingly well rested despite his duel with Amentaris. Perhaps those simulations didn't affect his energy. He looked to his left were Zelda slept; she wasn't there. She must've woken up before he did.

He lay in the bed for a while. The sunlight shone in from the door to the right of the bed. Link felt like getting some fresh air, so he decided to get out of bed and enter Zelda's garden. He threw the covers off, and unsteadily got out of bed. He rubbed his eyes a bit, and looked around the floor for his cap. He found it, but surprisingly, Navi was nowhere to be found. He picked it up, and slapped it onto his head. He strapped his sword and He stretched his neck, and rolled his shoulders. He took a deep breath and opened the door. He stepped across the bridge, and saw Zelda having a conversation with Link's guardian fairy. Zelda was now back in her normal clothes. She turned and noticed Link coming in.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. We thought you were dead."

"Very funny," said Link as he sat down.

"So, do you think you're ready for the challenge today?"

"I sure am. Am I leaving right away?"

Zelda nodded, but seemed a little saddened. She was probably sad to see him go. "There is some bad news though; we have just received word that King Dodongo knows you're coming."

"Damn…"

"Just be ready for anything. Knowing him, he would want you to be taken to him, alive. All of the Hidden Forces know of you, for defeating Queen Gohma. All of them think you are a skilled warrior, so they all want a piece of you themselves."

"I see…so I guess it's a long walk to Death Mountain?"

"Walk? Don't be too sure…"

"What?"

"Follow me…"

Zelda got up and went towards the same wall where the secret passage was. Link plopped into the water, as Zelda drew her design on the bricks once again. The passage opened, revealing the dark corridor. Navi went ahead, lighting the way.

"Navi! Move faster! We have to hurry!"

"All right! You could've asked nicely!"

Navi bolted forward, as Link and Zelda ran behind her. Link was careful not to get clobbered by the branches growing through the walls. He barely had enough time to see where he was stepping, because Navi was flying too fast. Zelda seemed to be managing better than he was though, possibly because she knew the passage better than he did. Soon enough, Link could see a light at the end of the tunnel, not emerging from Navi; they had finally reached the end. Link, Princess Zelda, and Navi the Fairy burst out onto the balcony.

"What now?"

"Wait…he should be here any minute…"

"Who's he?"

Link looked down onto the once again bustling city. People were waking up, and were again starting their busy lives. Smoke was rising from chimneys, and music, voices and all sorts of noises were faintly heard.

"There! There he is!"

"Where?"

Zelda pointed not at the city, but in the distance…in the air? Link looked hard, but saw nothing. However, soon, he saw something moving. He squinted, and made out it was a bird of some sort. As it drew closer, it seemed like it was quite a big one at that. The way it flapped its wings seemed familiar. As it approached, Link thought it looked somewhat like an owl. Could it be…? The owl reached the three, and perched on the railing. Now Link was certain who it really was.

"Kaepora!"

"Greetings, Link. I'm pleased to see you're well. I see you finally met the princess."

Kaepora's yellow eyes seemed to glitter as he surveyed Link.

"Kaepora Gaebora, it is an honour to see you," said Zelda.

"Princess Zelda," said Kaepora as he bowed and spread his wings.

"Kaepora, do you know where you are taking Link?"

"Indeed, I do: Death Mountain. It isn't a long flight from here."

"What? Are you going to carry me to Death Mountain?" asked Link.

"Of course. I can carry quite the heavy load. Are you ready, Link?"

"I sure am!"

"Then let us not delay any longer! We depart immediately!"

Zelda turned to Link.

"I wish you luck, Link. If things go well, come back here, and I'll tell you where to go next, okay?"

"All right. I'll see you later then!"

"Ok…bye…"

"Come on, Navi. Let's go!"

Navi flew back into Link's cap, and Kaepora lifted into the air. He wrapped his talons around Link's torso, and took off, carrying Link with him. Link turned to look back only once to see Zelda waving. He waved back. Sooner than he knew it, she was gone.

They were flying over the city now. Link looked down and saw the place where he first bumped into Malon. He chuckled to himself as he recalled the collision. Suddenly, he remembered something.

"Kaepora, we need to make a stop back at the forest!"

"What? Why?"

"There is someone I need to see. I need to talk to them."

"Very well, but don't be too long," Kaepora sighed as he turned towards the East.


	10. The Visit Home

10

_The Visit Home_

_Ganondorf spat onto the floor in his dormitory. He had a bit of a hangover from last night; he ordered bottle after bottle of rum, until he passed out on his bed. He knew why he did it though. He had finally found out who murdered his favourite pet: a kid! No more than a mere child went ahead and slew Queen Gohma. It made him extremely angry. The kid was right in front of him! What was his name? Link? He would never forget it. If he hadn't have been undercover, he would've strangled the child until his head popped off! He could only imagine what that kid would attempt next. He calmed down, and convinced himself that it was only a mere unfortunate coincidence that Gohma was dead. Even if the kid tried to take on any of his other major followers, he wouldn't stand a chance! King Dodongo, for example, has far too many troops for the kid to handle, and if the kid even did manage to reach the king himself, his pathetic wooden shield would be useless against the lizard's fiery breath. He chuckled to himself. What was he worried about, anyway? The kid was only going to learn from his mistakes, or he would perish trying to do more. Ganondorf kicked back and laughed. All was still going as planned. His army was now tallied in the thousands, and the foolish King of Hyrule was still oblivious to what he was planning. It was all too easy. In as little as a few days, the world would be his, and it would be his time to start his reign as king._

_There was a knock on his door._

"_Come in," he said, trying to be polite. A guard poked his head into the room._

"_Ganondorf? Sir? Is there anything you would like?"_

"_Actually, now that you mentioned it, I would like another bottle of that rum you've been giving me. I quite like it."_

_The guard nodded. "Absolutely sir," he said as he left. Ganondorf lay down onto the bed. He couldn't wait to take control of this world, but now was not the time to get his mind worked up on anticipating that. He set his thoughts onto looking forward to that bottle of rum.

* * *

_

"Now, don't be too long in there, we haven't got much time. You have two hours, all right?"

"Two hours…got it."

Kaepora had carried Link all the way back to the Forbidden Forest. The owl was skimming the treetops, and was barely missing the branches as it soared over them. Kaepora suddenly took a swift bank to the right, and circled the carcass of the Great Deku Tree. His black canopy stood out from the rest of the trees, of course. Link couldn't bear to glance upon his trunk; it was too devastating.

"I will let you off here. Meet me back here in two hours, at the most, and if you're not here by then, I will come looking for you, got it?"

"Got it."

Kaepora continued to circle the dead tree until it got close enough to the ground. That's when he slowed down, and put Link onto the ground. Link rose to his feet, and checked his cap to see if Navi was still there. Before he could touch it, the fairy bolted right out of his hat.

"Oh! Fresh air! Forest air! It's so good to be home!"

"You said it," said Link as he watched Kaepora soar up to one of the Deku Tree's branches and perch there.

"Well, go on. Say hi to all your friends. The clock is ticking."

"Oh, right! Come on, Navi! Let's go!"

Link sprinted out of the Deku Tree's meadow, and burst into the pass. Link swerved his way through, with Navi struggling to keep up. He was so excited to see everyone again. Even Mido would be a thrill to see! He couldn't believe he was back home, where he was supposed to be, and the way he was supposed to be. The vines that hung down in the pass occasionally smacked Link in the face, but he didn't care. He continued to run through the pass, until he reached the end, and saw the village: his home.

Link could've collapsed and kissed the ground, but he was too bent on moving forward. He bounded over the rocks in the small stream, and ran across the lush grass. He passed many Kokiri along the way to Saria's house. He could hear them calling out.

"Is that Link!"

"He isn't dead…he must've never left the forest after all."

"Wow, look at him run!"

Link could've stopped to talk to them, but now he was keen on getting to Saria's house. He saw it not too far in the distance, which only made him run even faster. The fireflies burned extremely bright, and the house came closer and closer. Link finally reached the door, and blasted into the home.

"Saria! I'm –"

No one was there. She must've been wandering around the forest. He thought it would be best to leave and ask someone if they knew where she was. Thusly, he turned around, and headed out the door. He was about to run back the way he came to ask some Kokiri where Saria was, when who would show up but the one and only Mido, the "big boss of the Kokiri". Mido's eyes glanced upon Link. He flinched, and might have backed up a few steps.

"Oh…it's you," he said. It seemed like he was cowering. Link knew why, though.

"Look, Mido, about the other day…I'm sorry for hitting you. I just lost my temper, that's all."

"Okay…"

"Mido, do you know where Saria is?"

"You don't know where she is? Ha! It seems you know her very well indeed." Mido had returned to his normal self suddenly. "Well, well. Mr. No Fairy doesn't know where his girlfriend's favourite spot is?"

"Mido, she isn't my girlfriend."

"She isn't? Well, perhaps this might refresh your memory?"

Mido began to pucker his lips and make little smooching sounds to taunt Link. It seemed that Mido used what once made him angry to make fun of Link.

"Anyway…" Link cut in. "Where is her "favourite spot"?"

Mido crossed his arms. Rotu seemed to be snickering a little after Mido's little impression.

"She's in the Lost Woods, stupid. You'd better get a move on, if you want to make it in that far in."

"She's in the Lost Woods!"

"Yeah…what's wrong with that, Mr. No Fairy? Is she in danger? Ha ha ha!"

"Actually, she is. I'll catch you later."

Without waiting for Mido's response, Link bolted in the direction of the Lost Woods. He remembered Zelda telling him about Phantom. Saria would surely be in danger if she stayed for any longer. He had to hurry. He dashed up the hill, and entered the premises of the Lost Woods. He kept on running through the tightly packed trees. He didn't know where Saria was, but he kept going deeper and deeper into the foliage. Things began to get dark, and more eerie. Now Link began to get scared. He had no idea where he was, and he had no clue where Saria was either. He looked around desperately, but saw nothing but black. Navi's light didn't seem to be doing anything.

"Saria? Saria!"

No answer. Things began to look helpless already. He had only been in the woods for 30 seconds, but he already was starting to give up. He began to hear things. He something rustling in the bushes.

"Link? Is that you!" came a far away voice.

"Saria! Where are you?"

"Follow my ocarina! Don't stop moving!"

A soothing, yet playful ocarina song came amidst the trees. Link sprinted in the direction of its origin. He put his hands out in front of him to make sure he didn't run into anything. He pushed what he thought to be branches or vines out of the way occasionally, and continued to blast through the trees. Now he was sure something was following him. It only made him run faster. The thing rustled like a bush, but seemed to be alive at the same time. Things began to get a little lighter. He could see the trees, and the fallen leaves, the vines, branches and bushes. He turned around to see what was following him.

The creature was sort of odd looking. Indeed, it did look like a bush, but at the same time it had a face. It was basically like a head with small feet. It had orange and red leaves for its hair, giving it a plant-like disguise. It had no nose or mouth. Instead, it had a small snout with a large hole, like an elephant or an anteater, but it was only about an inch long and an inch wide. The creature stared at him with its glowing yellow eyes with a threatening look. Compared with Queen Gohma, this creature was harmless, perhaps if Link hit it with his sword, it would run away. Link withdrew his weapon, and charged at the creature. Surprised by Link's actions, the creature just stood there. Link swung his sword, and made full contact. The creature's "leaves" were rather hard, and acted as a shield, but Link still hurt the monster. It squeaked, and scurried off into the Lost Woods. Now that that was over with, Link could concentrate on finding Saria. He continued to follow the ocarina, and the light shone brighter and brighter. Sooner than he knew it, Link entered a clearing. This was the brightest place he had seen since he entered the Lost Woods, but it was still pretty dark. When he looked around, he saw the magnificence of this place. There was a large stone building in front of him. The entrance to it was too high up for Link to get into, and it appeared that the stairs leading up to had been destroyed a long time ago. He looked up, and realised that this building was gargantuan. It towered above him menacingly. It was almost as high as Hyrule Castle itself! This building must've had some important purpose, but now was not the time to dwell on that. He had to find Saria. Just before he was about to press on through the woods, he saw her on a tree stump beside the structure.

She was still playing her ocarina, which in fact was similar to Link's, as if she didn't even notice that he had appeared. Link slowly approached her. Her feet were tapping to the music she played, and her head rocked side to side. Link crept slowly towards her. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, looked at him for a brief second, then closed them again, and continued to play. It was rather strange; somewhere inside Link, he knew that Saria already knew what he was going to say to her. Looking at her, the thoughts of Phantom slowly disappeared from his mind.

"…Saria?"

Saria took the instrument out of her mouth. Her eyes were still closed.

"What is it?"

Just before Link could tell Saria what he wanted to say to her, Phantom popped back into his mind.

"Saria, we need to get out of here, now!"

Saria finally opened her eyes with shock and confusion.

"What? Why?"

"There's no time to explain! We're both in grave danger!"

"Danger?"

Suddenly, rumbling was heard from behind them. It was coming from the building! They both turned around to see what it was. Bright red mist billowed out from the entrance to the tower. Saria and Link ran to the front of the building to get a better look. The red mist didn't seem natural. It was coming from something they had never witnessed before. Soon, Saria and Link stepped back a little; two ominous eyes glowed through the mist, looking directly at them. They could soon hear wicked laughter.

"I see you…"

"Who are you!" demanded Link.

"That is not for you to ask, child! Kill them both, my minions!"

Five figures slowly emerged from the red mist. Each of them had a pair of ghoulish eyes. Once the veil of red slipped away from their figures, Link and Saria almost jumped out of their boots. These "minions" were living skeletons! They were about as tall as Link, but they didn't look like real human skeletons, more like they were their own breed of living thing. They seemed to be limping as they walked, and their arms were outstretched, like zombies. Link, Saria, and Tamil were too scared to say anything, so Navi was the first to speak.

"They're Stalchildren! They are cursed creatures of the shadows! They are powerful in numbers, we have to run! We have to get back to the forest; we have to get into the light!"

Knowing Navi's knowledge on the different creatures in Hyrule, Link decided to take her advice and run into the bushes, telling Saria to follow him. Saria ran as fast as she could behind him. Link looked back to see that the Stalchildren had dropped down to the ground and were running at a fantastic speed despite their limp.

"Come on! Move, move, move!" yelled Link as he flew through the forest. Seeing Navi dart through and dodge trees told Link where not to go unless he wanted to smack into a tree. Suddenly, Link stopped; he heard Saria scream.

"Link, help me!"

"I'm coming!"

Link flew back the other way and followed Saria's screams to find her. They weren't screams of agony, but screams of terror; he wasn't too late, but he needed to hurry. Soon enough, he could barely make out Saria on the ground, with a Stalchild on top of her, ready to strike. Without a moment's hesitation, Link withdrew his sword and shield and charged at full speed. The Stalchild noticed Link's approach, and got ready for him. Remembering General Amentaris' advice, Link aimed down low. The Stalchild crouched down, still on Saria's stomach. That's when Link finally reached it and slammed its head into the ground with a full force vertical strike. Dazed and confused, the skeleton rose staggered back, leaving Saria free to escape. Link decided to finish the fiend off. He approached its stunned body, and sliced its head off with one clean stroke. It slid to the ground, and ceased to move.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes," said Saria as she brushed herself off. "I'm fine."

"We have to hurry. The rest of them could be here any minute."

But before they could step one more foot forward, the Stalchild's body began to move. It freakishly rose from the ground, and began to limp towards them again, this time without a head. That only set Saria and Link to the "flee" mode, and they took off towards the village. They soon caught sight of Navi, and began following her again. Tree after tree, bush after bush, they ran as fast as they could to get away from the Stalchildren. Soon, the woods began to light up again; they were almost there. They could see the trees again, and the sun's light began to shine through the leaves, creating rays of light. Soon, however, their hopes dropped; there was wicked laughter behind them. They turned around to see same evil eyes they saw earlier, except they were ten times bigger, and were coming at them fast. The red mist that they emitted slowly turned into flame.

"Fools! Fear my power! I will burn you to ashes!"

"Ignore him! Just keep running!" screamed Link as they edged closer and closer to the border of the Lost Woods.

"Beg for mercy before me, you cowards!"

"Keep running! Keep running!"

The heat from behind them became intense, and the back of Link's neck began to burn. The laughter ran through his ears like a river of evil. Before he could turn around and face the demon, Saria, Navi, Tamil and Link burst out into the village, tripped, and rolled down the hill. The apparition could no longer be seen or heard, thankfully. Having reached the bottom of the hill, Link got up and asked if everyone was all right.

"Yeah…I'm fine, thank you," said Saria as she rose from the ground, brushing off dirt and leaves. Navi and Tamil were yelling at each other fro some reason, but Link didn't bother asking why.

"Do you mind if we go to your house? I need to talk to you."

Saria crossed her arms.

"I think it's best to get some rest. I mean, we were just chased by five monsters and a giant demon. Okay, we'll take a stop at my house."

Saria began walking to her home, as Link followed. It wasn't until a few moments until Navi and Tamil caught up. It wasn't a long walk to Saria's house from the hill. Link was confused about Saria, however. It didn't seem that she was surprised to see him. It was like he never left. Did she expect him to come back today? After about a few moments' walk, they reached Saria's house. They came through the doorway, and the sweet aroma of her house entered Link's nostrils. Familiar smells always made Link a little easygoing. He paced into the room, and sat down in his usual chair. Saria sat in hers.

"Look, Saria, we need to talk."

"I know. You told me."

"It's about you and me."

A grin appeared across her face. It looked like she expected him to say that.

"Really…?"

"You see…about the other day…"

"When we kissed?"

"Yeah."

Saria shook her head and smiled.

"Don't think of it as meaning anything. It never did mean anything did it? That's why you wanted to talk to me?"

Link was extremely surprised and impressed.

"Yeah…how did you know?"

"Oh, I can figure things out on my own. It's just a coincidence that we both figured it out."

"Oh, okay," Link sighed with relief. "Well, that saves me a lot of grief."

Saria laughed, and then displayed a warm smile.

"It's nice to see you again, anyway, Link. By the way, I'm going to have to thank you for helping me out back there."

"Think nothing of it. I always enjoy cutting off a monster's head."

"Ew… anyway, now that your back and everything's back to normal, we could catch up a little."

Link sighed.

"Actually, Saria…it's not like that."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything isn't back to normal yet. In fact, things have gotten a lot worse."

Saria gasped.

"What? How? What happened with Hyrule Castle?"

"I have a mission, Saria. I have to save Hyrule. The man you saw sap the life out of the Deku Tree is plotting world domination. I have to stop him before he reaches the Triforce."

"The Triforce? What are you talking about?"

Link told Saria everything that Zelda told him. He told her about the origin of the sacred triangles, and the legend behind them. He told her about Ganondorf, and his plan to overthrow Hyrule's monarchy. He told her about King Dodongo, and how he was going to have to confront him. He even told her that he only had two hours to be here.

"By the gods…I'm so sorry, Link."

"It's okay. I'll be fine."

Saria bit her lip.

"You should leave here right away then."

"What! But I only just got here!"

"I know, I know…but if you have to fight a giant creature today, you might as well do it now."

"Saria…I need your support. I can't go on alone."

"Hey!" yelled Navi.

"Oh, sorry Navi, but it's not like that. Saria, can I at least stay a little longer?"

"No, but I have an idea."

"What is it?"

"Do you remember the song I was playing earlier?"

Link suddenly remembered it.

"Yeah, I do. It's pretty good. I like it."

"Thank you, I wrote it."

"Wow."

"Do you want to learn it?"

"Sure."

Saria taught Link the basic finger patterns for the song. Since Link was a fast learner, he began to do the pattern more fluently. The song was a very playful one, and it made Link feel happy. It was pretty simple, but it seemed to have some kind of mystical power behind it.

"I know what you're thinking," she said. "It feels magic, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, it does."

Saria leaned close to Link, and whispered into his ear.

"It is…"

"What! It's magic!"

"Yup. The notes trigger some kind of a magic spell that allows you to communicate to the person who taught you the song. So, if you play this song at anytime, you can talk to me telepathically."

"Wow…I don't know what to say…"

"You don't need to thank me. I'll be happy to talk to you anytime, but now you need to get going."

Link sighed.

"Okay…"

They both got up out of their seats, and exited through the door. Link thought he'd be staying for a little longer than this, but he decided it was for the best. He wanted to talk to Saria more in person, but he guessed it would be more beneficial to his mission if he were to talk to her though his ocarina. He didn't know why, but he had a funny feeling that Saria would play a crucial role in his destiny in the future.

They hopped the stones in the small stream, and headed towards the pass. As they winded through the snake-like path, Link was reminded of memories from a few days ago. It seemed like weeks though. Cold air was still blowing through the ravine; the Deku Tree's death was still causing spikes in the atmospheric currents. It was like the forest was getting out of order now that its guardian had passed. Sooner than he knew it, he was once again face-to-face with the Deku Tree. He still winced at the sight of him, but surprisingly, Saria didn't. She had probably spent some time in the Great Deku Tree's Meadow a lot during the time that he was gone. Link looked up and saw Kaepora Gaebora, still perched in the tree's canopy. When he spotted Link, a look of surprise swept across his face.

"Link? What are you doing? It hasn't even been half-an-hour yet!"

"I've decided to leave early. I should be on my way anyway."

"Very well then," said Kaepora as he flew down towards Link. Navi flew into Link's cap once again. With a quick swoosh, Link was caught in the owl's talons. He was then carried upward.

"I'll be sure to talk to you using this! Good-bye!" he called at Saria.

"I'll be waiting! Good luck!" she called back. In an instant, she and the forest were gone.

"Kaepora, how long is it until we reach our destination?"

"It will be a few minutes…not too long."

Link lay back and tried to rest himself, for his biggest challenge yet awaited him.

* * *

"_Ha ha ha! He is on his way, I know it! This shall be a day I will never forget!"_

_King Dodongo was still residing in his chamber in Dodongo's Cavern. He had been waiting for this day for a long time. Now the hero was finally going to come face to face with him. He had ordered his troops to bring the man to him alive and armed, ready to fight. The hero would probably be planning to meet with the Gorons before he came into his chamber. His strength grew with every second of his own anticipation. Master Ganondorf would be overjoyed with him defeating the man that defied him. Surely he would make him one of his most prized generals._

"_Guards!"_

_Three Lizalfos and two Dodongos entered the room._

"_What is it, my lord?" asked one of the Lizalfos._

"_The hero would probably wander around outside for a while before infiltrating our stronghold. Do not attack him until he is inside. I want him to at least meet with his precious Gorons first. I want them to see his corpse when I am through with him, as a sign to all of those who oppose me. Even the hero that defeated Queen Gohma is not match for me! Understood?"_

_The Lizalfos bowed and the Dodongos snarled, showing that they understood. The five guards soon left their King in peace, to prepare to annihilate their little "threat".

* * *

_

"There it is, Link; Death Mountain!"

The mountain itself was nothing like Link had ever seen. It was by far the largest, of course. It wasn't really a mountain, but an active volcano! The mountain seemed pretty calm at the moment, thankfully. There was a mysterious cloud ring circling the volcano's peak.

"Hey, Kaepora?"

"What is it?"

"What's up with the ring of clouds over there?"

"No one really knows the story behind its origin; not even me. All I can say is that it has always been there. I personally believe it symbolises peace on the mountain. Nowadays, things aren't so peaceful, so I am afraid that that cloud, which makes Death Mountain stand out from all of the other peaks in Hyrule, will disappear or transform into something else unless something is done."

"Hm…"

Kaepora flew in low so that Link could get a better look at the slopes. He spotted a giant boulder along the way.

"That is the boulder blocking the way to Dodongo's cavern. You'll need to get the Gorons to assist you into getting into the cavern, and you have to convince them to give you the Spiritual Stone of Fire. I'll fly you in close to the entrance to their city."

"They have a city? Like Hyrule Castle Town?"

"No, not that kind of city. This is more of an underground cavern. They should let you in freely. After all, they are expecting a messenger from the Royal Family."

Kaepora swooped down towards a small cave on a small plateau on the mountainside.

"This is the entrance to Goron City, Link. Although they are a friendly tribe, you must be cautious. You don't want them mistaking you as one of Ganondorf's followers."

Kaepora slowed way down near the plateau, and dropped Link onto his feet. Navi flew out of his cap almost immediately. He turned around to give Kaepora his thanks.

"Don't mention it," he said. "I wish you the best of luck. If you are successful, I will meet you back here. Remember, Link, if your heart is strong, and you mind is focused, you can overcome any evil that walks this earth."

With that, he was gone. Link turned around to face the passageway. He too a deep breath, and began to step into the cave.

"Navi, be ready for anything."

"Got it."

Once Link was inside the tunnel, he noticed that there was a convenient flight of stairs below him. He cautiously crept down them, and continued to walk down the darkening cavern. The walls were neatly carved. This place must've been used a lot. It had to be the entrance to Goron City. As he turned a corner, the cavern was lit up by torches in this next passageway; he was getting close. He began to walk casually down the cozy tunnel until he reached another corner. That's when he heard voices down the hall. They must've been Gorons. Link crept around the next corner, and saw two Gorons talking. At least…he thought they were Gorons.

There was no simile to properly describe these creatures in general. A turtle would've been the best answer, but even then, it wouldn't be even close to accurate. These creatures were, in a way, cute. They had round, somewhat cone shaped heads and had large bellies. Their skin was a chocolate brown, and on their backs was a shell, that looked like it was made of gravel and small rocks, complimenting the rather large guts. Their legs were about the same length as a human shin. Their arms, however, almost went from their shoulder to the ground, and were fairly bulky. They all had one chunk of hair on the top of their heads, and a small goatee. Their mouths were huge, making it possible for them to give a constant, adorable grin. Their eyes, however, made them especially charming. Their pupils were so large, that they covered their entire eye, making their eyes small, beady, and dark.

There particular Gorons seemed to be having a nice conversation, for they were laughing. Link thought that it wouldn't hurt to ask them if this was really the right passage to Goron city. He began to walk down the next set of steps, and the two Gorons paused their conversation.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" asked one of them.

"My name is Link, and this is my guardian fairy, Navi. We've been sent here by the order of Princess Zelda, and –"

"Princess Zelda? Did you say she sent you?" asked the other one.

"Well…yeah."

"Well why didn't you say so in the first place?" the other Goron beamed. "We've been expecting you! Come on, follow us. We'll take you to Big Boss!"

"Big Boss? Do you mean King Dodongo?"

The two Gorons stopped and shuddered a little, but then spontaneously burst into laughter.

"No, kid. It isn't King Dodongo. The last thing we need it to get that guy mad. We're talking about Darunia!"

"Oh…right…"

Link thought it would be best not to say anything until he met up with Darunia. The Gorons led him down the passageway a little further. They still seemed to be having a conversation as they walked. One more turn around the corner, and Link's eyes widened in amazement; he had entered Goron City. This place was almost like a palace, except inside out. It was like a giant tube going deep within the earth's crust. It was about 200 feet in diameter, and it went so deep, that Link couldn't even see the bottom. There was a series of paths that circled this giant hole, and many Gorons could be seen walking around them. On these paths, there were hundreds of doors. Link supposed that they lead to dorms, shops, restaurants and all the things you would find in Hyrule Castle Town.

"Where is Darunia, by the way?"

"He's at the bottom floor. That's where he usually likes to spend most of his time."

Link once again looked down the seemingly endless pit. It was a long way down. It would take them forever to reach Darunia!

"How long will it take to get to him?"

"Oh, not too long. Maybe a minute or so. We're going to take the elevator."

"An elevator? What's an –"

Before Link could finish his sentence, he saw the elevator, and it explained to him everything he needed to know. It was a small wooden box with enough space to carry three or four people. It was attached to a series of pulleys and ropes that the passengers inside could pull, to bring them up and down. This would make the trip down to the bottom a lot faster.

They stepped in the elevator one by one. Link was first, followed by his escorts. One of them began pulling the rope inside the elevator, and they began descending down into Goron City. Link looked out the small cut-out window in the box, and watched the many levels of the giant city pass by. He noticed that the Gorons came in all shapes and sizes, despite the fact that his escorts were virtually had the same dimensions. He feared for these poor creatures; they would be defenceless if an attack broke up against them. It didn't look like these were beings of war, but of peace and harmony. Now, they were caught in the middle of a dispute with hostile forces. Link watched each Goron pass by with wild interest. He observed that if they wanted to get around faster, they would simply curl up into a ball and roll around as if they were tumbling rocks. Every so often, Link would see a somewhat giant Goron, about twice the size as most of the others. Usually they were crowded by others as they boasted about their size and strength. Link guess he wouldn't blame them; he would probably do it too if he were that huge. As Link saw the diversity of this tribe, he got more curious about what their leader, Darunia. What did he look like? The elevator plunged deeper and deeper into the cavern, and the giant hole seemed to get narrower as they went along. Link got a little anxious as the tunnel got more mysterious. Link looked over to another ridge, and saw another of those giant Gorons wearing what looked like a lizard suit. Was that what a Dodongo looked like? The children around him seemed quite amused by it, nonetheless. A wry smile swept across Link's face upon seeing it. Sooner or later, the disguised Goron slipped out of sight as the elevator got too far away. Link continued to wonder if the costume was what his enemies looked like. The next thing Link knew, the elevator stopped with a loud CLUNK.

"Here we are…" mumbled one of the Gorons as he beckoned Link outside. The Gorons seemed to get a little more serious, now that they were in the premises of their leader. Link began to wonder if Darunia wasn't the most pleasant of characters. Even so, Link stepped out of the lift. The Gorons began to walk across the poorly lit ground, across to the other side. There were a few torched by the door that they were heading to, indicating its importance; they must've been very close to Darunia. From close observation of the Gorons in front of him, Link might've thought that they were getting into an orderly fashion; the way that they were behaving only made Link get more nervous to actually meeting the "Big Boss" of the Gorons. They stepped through the doorway, and began to walk up a short flight of steps. There was warm air coming in through this small passage. Link could see thumb paintings on the wall. It appeared that they were portraits of previous Goron leaders. Some seemed a little friendlier than others. It looked like the leaders were pretty random when it came to sternness. Maybe they didn't come from a bloodline, and were just picked off randomly? Perhaps it would be best to ask Darunia himself that question.

They turned the corner, and entered a small, yet beautifully decorated room. To Link's left, there was a large stone statue of an ancient Goron. The back of it seemed a little charred for some strange reason. He decided to ignore it. The ceiling was strewn with many mini-flags bearing a strange symbol. He remembered it from before, because a lot of the Gorons had this symbol tattooed onto their shoulders. On the wall opposite Link, there was a series of weapons, mostly spears and such. They seemed as ancient as the statue. Link was in such awe looking at the many things he had seen just now; he forgot to look to the right of the room. Once he managed to turn his head in the correct direction, he saw the great Goron leader: Darunia.

Link couldn't really get a good look at him because he was on a bench press, but he saw that he was unimaginably built. His biceps pulsated with every beat of his heart. They might've been even bigger than Link's head! With that body, he might've been even capable of defeating Ganondorf! Link shut that thought down; he knew that Ganondorf could not be defeated by such physical means such as brute strength.

"Big Brother? The messenger of the Royal Family has arrived!" exclaimed on of the Gorons, but a little hesitantly at the same time. Darunia grunted, and slowly put the barbells down onto their rack. He sat up, and stretched his neck. Link could now get a good look at his full appearance. Indeed, he was not mistaken with the leader's colossal strength. Although he had a large belly, Link wouldn't want to take on this massive Goron. Although Darunia had the same sized mouth as all of the other Gorons, his was used to perform an unyielding frown. His eyes were like stone, and didn't have a strong gleam as most of the others. His hair was more wild and untended than the other Gorons; he had a long grey beard, separated into several points. His feral hair ran up the side of his head and onto the top, making several other spikes similar to his beard. He wore several thin, overlapping wristbands and anklets. His fists, maybe larger than his head, clenched violently. His aggressive expression didn't make Link feel any more comfortable.

"Who is this?" he snorted. "You said the messenger had arrived!"

The Gorons panicked slightly. It appeared that Darunia didn't believe Link was in fact the messenger of the Royal family. "But this _is_ the messenger! He arrived just now!"

"Have you two lost your puny little minds? This kid? Hyrule's messenger! Why would you believe this?" he growled as he spat ferociously onto the floor.

"He claims to have been sent here by Princess Zelda…"

Darunia's eyes narrowed ominously. "Princess Zelda? And what proof does he have of this?"

The two Gorons looked at Link as if they were expecting him to do something. Darunia's stare didn't make him feel any better either.

"She didn't leave anything with me that can prove I have spoken with her."

Darunia got up off of the bench while chuckling in disbelief. Link shrunk slightly in embarrassment. Darunia walked over to the giant statue on the other side of the room.

"So what makes you think I should believe you then, kid?"

Link's lip curled slightly. "You contacted Zelda telepathically yesterday. I was right in front of her when it happened. So she sent me to help you."

Darunia turned around with a smirk on his face. He nodded. "That's right, but anyone could've picked up telepathic waves." Darunia turned to face Link. His expression had transformed swiftly into that of distrust. "I think this kid is working for Ganondorf!"  
Link flinched at that remark. His escorts did the same.

"But, Big Boss, he's only a child! How could he be working for Ganondorf?"

Darunia grunted. "That man could brainwash anyone. He's probably used this kid to make us least expect a spy!"

Hearing this, the two Gorons backed away from Link slightly. Link had to stick up for himself.

"I hate Ganondorf! I'm here to defend your people from his evil!"

Darunia burst into laughter. "I'm sure you are, kid! Let's see what you have on ya, shall we?"

Darunia approached Link, and started moving his hands along Link's clothing, searching for anything suspicious. Link didn't squirm, for it might make Darunia even angrier.

"Aha! What's this?" Darunia exclaimed as he pulled out Link's ocarina. "Do you two know what this is?"

The two Gorons shook their heads.

"Well, then. Perhaps this kid knows; he's the one who brought it here…"

"It's a fairy ocarina. It's an instrument?"

Darunia's eyebrows rose. "A fairy wha…?"

"Ocarina. You use it to make music."

Darunia crossed his arms and a smug grin was sweeping across his face. "Really? Well, if you're telling the truth…" Darunia passed the ocarina back into Link's hands. "Play me a song then."

"What?"

"If you are telling the truth, then play me a song."

Link decided to go along with Darunia's request, seeing that it would be the only thing that would prove that he was indeed sent here by Princess Zelda, but what song? Link didn't know any…but what about the song that Saria taught him an hour ago? Maybe that would work? Link slowly put the ocarina into his mouth.

"This should be good…" snickered Darunia. With a little bit of hesitation, Link began to play Saria's song. The playful, quick tempo melody flowed through him, as if he were back in the forest once again. He closed his eyes, and saw leaves, trees, plants, and all parts of the forest. He opened his eyes to look at Darunia. His arms were still crossed, and the same stern expression was still on his face. Link stopped playing. Darunia's eyes widened.

"Hey! I didn't say stop! That's pretty good. Keep going…"

Delighted to hear this, Link immediately inserted the instrument into his mouth and continued where he left off. This time, he kept his eyes open to see what Darunia was doing. After a while, Darunia began grooving his head, snapping his fingers, and tapping his toes. He seemed to really like the song. This gave Link a burst of energy that made him play the song even louder.

"Yeah! Keep going!" he yelled over the music Link was performing. Darunia was rocking his head more enthusiastically now. Even the Gorons beside Link began to dance a little. Link tapped his toes as well as he played the song; he began to get a liking for it as well. Suddenly, Darunia ran to the other side of the room, and opened what looked like a secret cabinet. He pulled out a pair of bongo drums, got the beat of the song, and began to improvise a drum line. Link tried not to smile, for if he did he wouldn't be able to play. He knew the song was coming close to the end, but he didn't want to stop. He knew he had to though, so he held the final note. Darunia did a little bit of a solo as he held it, and soon, Link ran out of breath, and finished the song by letting go of the note, and letting Darunia do a final slam on his drums.

"Wonderful! Spectacular! I haven't had that much fun in years!" exclaimed Darunia with a laugh. Out of the blue, Link suddenly heard Saria's voice in his head.

"What is it, Link? Do you need something?"

Link laughed a little. He forgot that every time he played that song, he'd hear Saria's voice. "No, everything's fine. I'm just testing it out."

"Oh, okay. Well, good luck then!"

Sooner than he knew it, her voice was gone.

"Who are you talking too?" asked a confused Darunia, putting his drums away into the cabinet.

"Oh, no one," recoiled Link as he slipped his ocarina back into its pouch.

"Okay, maybe you're a little bit delusional," he grunted as he stepped back in front of Link. "But I think I like you. A brainwashed servant wouldn't be able to concentrate hard enough to perform a song of that quality. I trust you, kid. What's your name?"

Link cleared his throat. "I am Link."

Darunia calmly directed a finger at Navi. "And who's…"

"This is Navi, my guardian fairy."

Darunia suddenly burst into hysterics. "A guardian fairy! It doesn't make sense to me…but okay!" Darunia didn't seem to notice the rise in Navi's glow's intensity. "So," he said as he turned around, took out a cup of some sort and poured himself a glass of a substance in a beaker. "I know you can't be an actual messenger of the Royal Family, but I believe your story of being sent here by the princess. Have a seat. You two leave us, would you?"

The two Gorons bowed and slunk away. As Link actually stepped inside the room, he noticed there were some wooden chairs on the wall that he couldn't see in the entranceway. He casually took a seat in one of the middle ones. Darunia took a seat on the bench where he was working out. He took a sip of his drink.

"So, what new game has our little princess come up with now?" he joked. Link leaned back in his seat a little.

"It isn't a game. It's quite serious, actually." Link bit his lip a little. "I've been sent here to take care of the issue about King Dodongo."

Darunia burst into laughter yet again. He almost held his sides; he was laughing so hard.

"Kid…err…Link, you can't be serious. You, battling King Dodongo? That would be good for a joke!" Darunia sighed and seemed to wipe a small tear out of his eye after having a good laugh. Link wasn't amused by this, however. Darunia tapped his chin; he was thinking. "The only person that I can think up of off of the top of my head that would even stand a chance against that tyrant would be the legendary one that recently defeated Queen Gohma."

Link displayed a mischievous grin. "Really? Because I know where that guy is."

Darunia leaned forward in his seat slightly. "What? Where is he?"

Link crossed his legs calmly. "He's closer than you think."

"You don't mean to say…"

Link pointed a finger at his chest. "He's me."

Darunia waved a hand at Link. "Don't try to trick me, Link. We both know that if you were the hero, then you would have the Sacred Stone of Forest."

Link almost broke into a laugh as he reached into one of his pouches and took out the shining emerald. Darunia jumped out of his seat upon seeing its magnificence.

"No…impossible! You must've killed the warrior and stole if from him!"

Link shook his head and laughed as he leaned back even more into his seat. "Then that would make me even more efficient for the job, wouldn't it?"

Darunia sighed, and lay back onto the bench. While still lying down, he put his drink on the small table beside it. He sat back up. "Okay, I believe you. So, the legendary one is right in front of me at last," he said as he relaxed a little. "I never expected that he would be in fact a mere child. How did you kill a beast as great as Queen Gohma, anyway?"

Link sighed and shrugged at the same time. "I wish I could answer that question. I've been trying to for a long time. I guess I might've been lucky that one time, but I'm a much better swordsman now; I've gotten training from General Amentaris."

Darunia stretched his neck again. "Amentaris…really? Anyway, what are your terms?"

"What?"

Darunia poured himself another drink. "You know, you help us out with the Dodongo problem, and we give you something in return."

Link's eyes brightened. "If I were to rid you of King Dodongo…"

"Yes, go on," said Darunia as he took a sip of his drink.

"I would want the Spiritual Stone of Fire."

Darunia spat his mouth's contents all over the floor. "The Spiritual Stone of Fire! Do you mean the Goron's Ruby!"

Link leaned back and put his hands behind his head. "If that's what you want to call it, yes."

Darunia grinded his teeth, and looked up at Link with a little bit of annoyance. "Fine, we'll let you have it, but only if you succeed."

"But of course, although things worry me. First of all, I'd like to get some information. Have you bothered to attack Dodongo's Cavern?"

Darunia threw his arms up into the air in frustration. "Yes! We tried, oh how we tried. We've suffered countless casualties, and I'm not even sure if they've lost one of their comrades. It's all because King Dodongo has too much experience when it comes to war. He's able to organize his troops so ingeniously, that we don't even stand a chance. If only they were without a leader, we'd be able to take them easily."

Link leaned forward in his chair. "Wait, did you say that if they were without a leader, you would be able to take them?"

Darunia raised an eyebrow. "…yeah."

Link clenched a victorious fist. "King Dodongo knows I'm coming. He wants to see me alive in front of him, so he can battle me himself. If I manage to defeat him, then his troops will be unorganized, so when I give the signal, you can run in and take care of his army!"

Darunia leaned back in astonishment. "That's the craziest idea I've ever heard…it just might work."

They both laughed. Link tried to kill the butterflies in his stomach, but now they were flying around like crazy once Darunia got up out of his seat. He paced around the room with his hands behind his back. He saw that there was a hint of worry in Darunia's eyes.

"Well, if this is the only plan that you've got," he said as he stopped pacing and looked at the ground.

"It is, unfortunately," Link replied a little solemnly.

"Then what do we have to lose? I'll open the cave, and you can go ahead. While you're inside, I'll rally up the troops and we'll await your signal." Link jumped out of his seat.

"What? Why so soon?"

Darunia growled. "Link, our people are starving. They've gone without food for days now. If things continue, we will waste away. This isn't something you should wait on. We have to end this madness once and for all."

Link winced, and with some effort, nodded.

"Come on, let's go." Darunia opened up the secret compartment where his bongo drums were located, but this time pulled out a small, mysterious bag. Carrying it, he speedily walked out the door. Link followed.


	11. King Dodongo

11

_King Dodongo_

"_Ah, the hero approaches."_

_King Dodongo, awaiting the arrival of the hero for a while now, was getting anxious. He knew that the warrior had seen the Gorons, and had gained their trust. The fool, Darunia, had probably so much faith in this man, that when he saw his burnt corpse, it would internally destroy him. The hero would come to him, burning with rage and vengeance. The hero knew of the recent two that he ordered to be slaughtered. He knew of the previous attempts to break the mighty king's fortress. Now, all the King of Beasts needed to do was wait until he came._

_The Scythe of Death was awaiting the hero's neck.

* * *

_

"Here it is, Link. This is the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern."

The boulder seemed unimaginably huge. It was the largest rock Link had seen in his entire life. It loomed over him like a menacing monster, although Link knew he was about to face much worse things than large rocks. Link looked on the ground below him. He could've sword he could see bloodstains. On the way there, Darunia told him of two stray Gorons who were ordered to be slaughtered by King Dodongo. Seeing their blood almost made Link feel sick to his stomach. King Dodongo was obviously a twisted and insane tyrant. Link was ready to avenge the innocent Gorons' deaths. What kind of foul creature would do such a thing to two Gorons who posed no threat to him? Link knew that that murderer was lurking somewhere behind that rock.

"All right," Darunia exclaimed, still holding the mysterious sack. Suddenly, with a grin, Darunia handed it to him.

"What is this?" Link asked. The sack was surprisingly light, but Link knew there was something inside it. Something dangerous.

"This, my friend, is a bomb bag," Darunia said proudly.

"A bomb bag," asked Link, looking up.

"If you would look inside…" Darunia gave Link a look to open it up. Link obeyed, and saw what he thought looked like blueberries from the forest. "You will find a bunch of small stones. However, there are not your ordinary stones. They are actually shrunken bombs! If you take one out, it will self enlarge, and it will automatically light. These babies are of my own concoction. Be careful with them; they can be very dangerous not only around your enemies, but around you as well."

Link stared at the bomb bag in wonder.

"Now, what I want you to do is to take one out, and throw it at the boulder. This should open your path."

With a shaky hand, Link grabbed one of the bombs with his thumb, index and middle fingers. Once the bomb was out of the bag, it rapidly grew to a size that Link's whole hand could handle. It was almost like magic! Suddenly, Link could hear a hissing noise coming from the bomb. He looked, and saw that the fuse was lit! What could he do!

"Throw it, Link! Throw it!"

Without a moments hesitation, Link rid himself of the dreadful thing, and watched it soar in the direction of the boulder. It landed on top of it, and remained there for a minute.

"Plug your ears," said Darunia as he did so. Link covered his ears with his whole hands. He waited for a moment, another, and another moment. Just when he was about to open his eyes….BOOM! The bomb exploded, shattering the boulder into pieces. He could hear the thumps of the many parts hitting the ground, but he couldn't see anything, for the dust and debris was blocking his view. It began to sting his eyes, so Link covered them for a while. The bomb's explosion echoed throughout the mountain range. Darunia chuckled a little.

"It's all right, Link. You can open your eyes," came Darunia's humoured voice. Link let his eyes absorb the light once again. He saw what he had done: he cleared the path into Dodongo's Cavern. He stood in awe of the seemingly endless tunnel. How deep was this cavern, anyway?

"Well, Link, I wish you luck," said Darunia. Link turned to see that he was already leaving. "I'm going to rally the troops." Darunia started breaking into a run. "Remember, Link…watch the soil!"

Watch the soil? What was that supposed to mean? Before Link could ask, Darunia was out of sight. Link was so nervous at this point, he thought he was going to drop dead. The tunnel seemed to stretch out further than Link thought he could ever walk. Link shook his head violently to snap out of it. He then sighed and looked at Navi, who also was staring at him as well.

"Well, here we go again," she said ironically.

"Déjà vu. If you see any signs of movement, let me know."

"Got it."

Gathering his strength, Link took a deep breath, and proceeded into Dodongo's cavern. The second he stepped into its premises, the air turned into a cool breeze originating from the tunnel. Perhaps it meant something. As Link surveyed the walls of the cavern, he noticed that the same thumb paintings that he saw in Goron City were abundant here. Link abruptly recalled to memory that this place once belonged to the Gorons. His feelings of sympathy were returning to him, but he quickly shook them off; he had to stay serious here. He didn't know when there was going to be an ambush. The cool breeze coming from the tunnel slowly turned into a foul wind. The stench began to annoy Link and Navi. Was this how Dodongo's Cavern always smelled like? He turned to look behind him, and saw that he was already quite a ways in already. The light from outside began to fade, and Navi's glow began to replace it. Unlike the natural light from outside, Navi's radiance revealed many other things on the walls. Link saw many bloodstains, sword scratch marks, and even ashes from fire. On the ground below him, Link noticed many footprints. Some of them belonged to Gorons; others belonged to other creatures that Link had never seen before. This was probably the point where the battle took place when King Dodongo and his army raided the cavern; he was getting close.

"Navi," he whispered while looking around, making sure no one was watching them. "Glow a little brighter. I can't see anything."

Navi seemed a little annoyed. "You can't just tell me to glow brighter! I have to get angry!"

"Sure, Navi. Just do it."

"I'm not joking!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Navi's glow burst into a giant light and filled the entire room. Link peered ahead of him, and saw a red curtain in the distance. Wind was blowing it about, and every so often, it would go up high enough so that Link could see that there was an entrance behind it; the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern. The cloth reminded him of the curtain in Link's house, and he was painfully reminded of his memories of the forest. It already seemed like he hadn't been in the forest for years, even if it was merely hours.

Link didn't want to think about it; there was still the risk of the enemy waylaying. Before Link could get a better look at the entrance, Navi had realized Link's plan of getting her mad, and she couldn't help but dim her light. The entrance to Dodongo's Cavern slowly fell out of sight. Link knew that he couldn't trick Navi again, so he thought he would have to tough it out until he reached his goal.

He pressed on, gazing in awe at the remnants of the battle that took place here. He felt lucky there still weren't bodies here, because he thought he would faint if he actually saw one. The way that the footprints were aligned, and how the slices on the wall were directed, Link could picture the scenario for the invasion. The Gorons seemed to be minding their own business when they attacked, so they had no warning. Link could see that they tried to flee, but were slaughtered from behind.

As Link travelled further and further into the bleak cave, he began to see parts of the soil where there were some sorts of elongated imprints. It appeared that when the Gorons were struck down, that their bodies slid in the dirt. Most of the imprints were the same, indicating that Dodongo suffered minimal casualties.

Link looked ahead into the black, fearing just how many were waiting for him. It was only until now that Link realized how much more serious this was than traveling inside the Deku Tree, and only then did it come to mind that King Dodongo was a much more powerful foe than Queen Gohma would ever dream to be.

Link could almost feel the fiend's breath from here; it began to get warm…or was it real? The temperature was rising as Link pressed on. This could only mean that there was something inside the cavern that was heating the entire atmosphere. The only thing that Link could think of that would produce such a heat would be molten rock, or lava. As he edged closer to the door that he saw before, it slowly came back into vision from Navi's dimmer glow. The scarlet red curtains continued to blow, but it seemed that they weren't flailing so harshly now; the wind had died down slightly. He noticed that these curtains weren't really curtains at all, but flags.

They were tattered and torn, but Link could see what was on them. There were golden designs representing fire. Many skulls of different creatures acted as a border for these flags. This didn't seem like Goron art, so Link assumed they were placed there for King Dodongo. This meant that behind these doors, anything could happen.

Suddenly, the wind stopped, and the air grew perfectly still. The flags stopped waving, and the stench disappeared. It was like the air suddenly dropped dead, and now the very atmosphere itself was against Link. He kept focused though; now that he was ever so close to his destination, he wanted to keep as focused as possible. The flags were distracting however. Their intimidation was beginning to overwhelm him. He shut them out of his mind, and pushed them out of the way; he had entered Dodongo's Cavern.

He was in a small room, which seemed to be the lobby of the cave. Stalagmites hung from the ceiling, dripping water in some spots. The ground was smooth, however; it was almost like hard rock with sand sprinkled on top. He knew that his cave had been used for generations, so the Gorons probably made the ground like this.

Link looked around for an opening into the main cavern, but saw no possible point of entry. All he could see was the path that came in through. He observed the walls in the room, and noticed that there was a particular section that looked a little odd compared to the rest. It was a little darker and had a different texture to it.

"Do you think that there is something behind that part of the wall?" he asked Navi as he observed the section.

"It looks like it, doesn't it? I would assume that King Dodongo erected something other than that boulder to protect the cavern."

Suddenly, Link and Navi heard rustling behind them. They both spun around, but saw nothing. The rustling was still there though. Link had no idea what was happening, nor Navi. What was making that noise? Was it a distraction to keep Link from seeing an ambush? Abruptly, Link recalled to mind Darunia's advice to "watch the soil". He looked down, and indeed, he saw the soil being flung into the air by something under it. Link took out his weapons and got ready for anything.

"Navi! What is it?"

"I'm not sure. Full grown Dodongos and Lizalfos are too large to tunnel underground. It has to be something smaller. Expect the unexpected!"

As Link continued to watch the moving earth, he tried to see if he could make out what the thing actually was. Suddenly, he heard a small squeal as something burst out of the flying dust. It flew up about six feet, and smacked down hard on the ground.

The thing was slightly larva-like. It was half-a-foot in width and a foot in length. It was a pale green colour, and had beady eyes similar to a Gorons, but they were on the side of its face instead of the front, like most creatures. Its snout came into a point, similar to a beak. It was quite small compared to what Link thought he would see in the cave, and it looked even less threatening because of its lack of teeth. The creature looked at him with shock; it obviously didn't know that he was here.

"It's a baby Dodongo!" yelled Navi. "Don't be misled by its size! They're lethal!"

The creature began to wiggle its way towards Link. Link still stood there, ready for anything. The baby Dodongo let out a squeal and lunged. Link saw where it was coming from; it was going to hit him right in the face! Getting his timing right, Link drew back his sword and struck the thing in mid air. It cried as it was slammed into the ground. It landed on its back and twitched a little.

"Well, that was a little too easy," Link said as he shook his head and was about to put his weapons away.

"Link! Get out of the way! It's going to explode!"

Link didn't understand what Navi meant by that, but he decided it would be best to do what she said. He dashed to the other side of the room, and maybe did a little bit of a dive to get there faster. He turned around to see the creature, still on its back and twitching. Suddenly, it stopped shuddering, and its eyes slowly rolled over to Link's direction. Link just stared back. Slowly, it started snickering, as a light began to immerge from its mouth. The light grew brighter and brighter, and eventually its scales split, making tiny slivers in its body and causing rays of light shine through. Its body started to swell up, and was ripping even more. Now it was obvious to Link that this creature was going to burst violently. He brought up his shield to protect himself.

BOOM!

He heard the loud blast, and chunks of debris fell from the heavens. A few large rocks hit his shield, and some small pebbles landed on his head. After the rocks stopped, Link was left with a cloud of smoke and dust. He put his sword and shield away and fanned some of the dust away. He tried to see if there were any remnants of the creature, but none were to be found. All that was left of it was a small, smoking crater. Link brushed off some of the debris that was still on his shirt. He stretched and then rolled his shoulders.

More rustling.

Link ripped out his sword and shield once more as he saw three new patches of soil that began to fly into the air. He saw the tails of the three baby Dodongos flick around as they came to the surface of the earth. They all flew into the air and slammed back down. It seemed like they knew he was there, because they immediately hissed at him. Saliva dripped from their mouths, and signalled that they were eager to fight. One of them slithered its way in Link's direction, but the others stayed put. It came towards him at lighting speed for a snake-like creature, and it threw its body into the air, and plummeted in Link's direction. Seeing the similarity of this to the previous creature, Link calmly slashed the creature back in the direction from which it game with one swift stroke. Its body landed in-between the two other baby Dodongos, who acted in alarm. Link couldn't blame them for panicking, because within a few seconds, Link watched the two get blown away by the explosion that emanated from their dead comrade. Link chuckled as the two fly in opposite directions.

However, Link almost jumped as he saw where they landed: right beside two new baby Dodongos just burying out of the ground! Simultaneously, they poked their heads out of the soil, and squealed in panic as they saw the ticking bombs beside them. They too, were launched about six feet from two more explosions. Link began to panic as well, as he saw about ten more tunnelling to the surface in scattered places. Soon, the chain of detonations led to making the room a demolition site, with chunks of the ceiling plummeting to the ground, and with blasts detonating twice every second. The stalagmites came down at such a speed that they impaled certain creatures, making them start a new chain. The dust and smoke flew into Link's face like a soaring eagle of death. It was so dense that he was knocked off his feet. He soon began to be covered with small rocks, and that was when he realized that it wouldn't be long until larger ones started to tumble. On all fours, he scurried away. He began to go a little deaf due to the massive explosions all around him. He covered his head to protect himself, as the baby Dodongos continued to self-destruct. The explosions began to overwhelm him, and he was just about to run out of the cavern, when they stopped.

His ears rang like church bells, and he was covered in soot. He could barely see anything amidst the dust and debris, but caught a faint blue light: Navi.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"What?"

"Are you all right!"

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. I'm having a little trouble hearing though."

Link sighed wryly. "It figures. What a mess." He waved the dust out of the way as it slowly cleared up by itself. It was only now that he saw the remnants of the lobby. There were rocks strewn all over the floor, and the stalagmites were no longer abundant on the ceiling. As the dust cleared up even more, however, something else caught his eye. The suspicious part of the wall that he saw earlier was now no more. It had been shattered to pieces, and behind it revealed Dodongo's Cavern. An ominous red light glowed through the newly revealed path, but it only encouraged Link to proceed. Without even speaking a word to Navi, he was lured into the door. He was surprised that Navi followed close behind him, without saying a single word. With a deep breath, Link stepped through the door.

It was almost like all of the dust had been sucked back into the lobby, because Link could see perfectly now. The cavern was immense. It might've been larger than Goron city. There were large holes, pits and cliffs with lava at the bottom as far as the eye could see, giving the room a red light, and explaining the glow coming from the door. It was quite hot in here due to the molten rock. As Link observed the walls as he continued to walk into the massive cavern, he noticed that there were several mining shafts, obviously to extract the Gorons' food supply. Many of these shafts had been blocked off by piles of rocks. Link jumped and stopped in his tracks when he heard a distant voice.

"Did you hear those blasts! He's here! Get our soldiers down there!"

The voice sounded far-away, but soon enough, Link saw figures approaching in the distance. Link could only see their silhouettes, but he saw that most of them were running upright, like humans, but others were on all fours like animals. What kind of soldiers were these? Link didn't think it was a good idea to rush them, so he stayed put, and tried to get a good look at the group of soldiers heading towards him. As they came into view, Link could begin to get a good look at the ones that were crawling.

"What are the ones that are on all fours, Navi?"

"I'm pretty sure those are fully grown Dodongos, Link."

So, finally, Link could get a good look at the menaces that raided this cavern and killed innocent Gorons. Indeed, Link could see relation to the adults from the infants. Its head was similar shaped, but different in certain ways. The scales were much more broad and large than the babies'. It was almost like their faces had armour-plated masks on, because they branched off from their scalp and separated into three points. They had horns on their head that curved backwards, and they had two bottom teeth that were so huge that they stuck out the side of their mouths. The creatures didn't have four legs, but had two front ones, and simply had long scaly tails. Their legs were particularly muscular, and had only two claws or toes on its massive feet. They had somewhat large bellies, and they had three spikes on their backs. Their blue eyes stared at Link with a glow slightly dimmer than Navi.

After Link got a good look one of his foes, he noticed the other ones; the ones that ran like humans. Link was positive that these were the Lizalfos that Zelda mentioned. Their heads were similar to that of dinosaurs. Their teeth were small, but were great in number. Their tongues flicked in and out of their mouth, like snakes. They wore shining green armour on the upper torso, the shoulders, and on the crotch. On their left shoulders, they had pink bands with four huge spikes, making them look even more threatening. Their tails were about as long as the Dodongos' and they were just about as well built. Their claws were as black as the midnight sky, and were as sharp as knives. Speaking of knives, their blades were quite larger than Link's. Their sheaths were red and were strapped onto their hips. The swords themselves had a wooden and metal handle, and the blade was about two feet long. Their yellow eyes were wild, yet tame at the same time.

The soldiers seemed to be in a hurry toe reach him, but Link was surprised by the lack of their numbers; King Dodongo's army was said to be huge. Then, Link realized that it would be foolish to send a whole army after one person. As the enemy charged towards him, Link got his sword and shield ready. He got into a defensive position, and waited. The enemy got closer by the second, yet Link didn't bother to budge. Suddenly, memories of Princess Zelda flooded back into his mind photographically. She was smiling, and her warm eyes soothed his soul. Abruptly, he snapped back into reality, and the first thing his eyes pick up was a Lizalfos, ready to strike. Link reacted quickly and lunged forward while swinging his sword horizontally. He cut right through its stomach, and it hollered in agony. Link used his foot and kicked it out of the way. It fell to the ground, still moaning. Link was suddenly knocked to the ground by an immense weight. He was pinned down by something, and he made an effort to turn around onto his back. A Lizalfos had pinned him to the ground, and had his sword pointed at him. Link tried to struggle his way out, but it was no use.

"Go ahead, squirm," the lizard hissed. "There's no one to save you now." It slowly drew back its blade. Link shut his eyes and waited for the end, but no such thing happened; the Lizalfos was knocked off of him by a Dodongo. The Dodongo hissed and snarled at the grounded Lizalfos angrily. Link found it hard to breathe because the Lizard's foot was on his chest. The Dodongo noticed this, and got off of him. Yet another Lizalfos approached Link, with a stern look on its face. It withdrew its blade and pointed it at his throat while standing up. With its sword still pointing at Link, it turned to the other Lizalfos.

"What were you doing! King Dodongo wants him alive!"

The other soldier got up from its feet and brushed itself off. "He wants the hero alive, not just anyone who wanders into the cavern! Don't be foolish!"

The Lizalfos with its sword nearly piercing Link's neck snarled at the other. "You idiot! This _is_ the hero!"

The other roared back. "This kid! Have you gone insane! A mere child couldn't have killed Queen Gohma! Even then, he would have the Kokiri's Emerald!"

The Lizalfos on top of Link looked at him convincingly. "Show the stone to him, if you want to live," it said with as somewhat deep tone to its voice.

It wasn't like Link had much of a choice. It was either that or to take on all of the soldiers surrounding him. He slowly reached into one of his pouches and presented them the Sacred Stone of Forest. Its green colour flickered in the Lizalfos' yellow eyes. It was now sneering.

"Is that enough proof for you, or should I get him to tell the story?"

The other grunted. "You shouldn't blame me for not believing that this stupid kid murdered Queen Gohma! I can bet that you don't believe it either, do you?"

The Lizalfos shook its head. "No, I don't. It's remarkable that Gohma fell to a child that we've just taken down."

Link could hear some of the other soldiers snicker at that remark. A few Dodongo snarls were heard as well. Link was a little hurt by the comment, however. Was it really true that Queen Gohma was no more powerful than a handful of Ganondorf's soldiers? His pride started to leave him.

"Well, it doesn't matter," continued the Lizalfos in a more loose tone. "We've found him, and the master's orders are to bring him to him, alive and armed. We will not question the master, even if we are baffled by the "hero's" youth. So let's get him to the master's quarters immediately."

"You let him go right now or you'll be sorry!" squeaked Navi's voice. Link turned his head while still on the ground, to see Navi gripped by one of the Lizalfos by her leg. She was struggling like mad to get free, but even Link didn't see the point in trying. What was a mere fairy going to accomplish against ten or so Lizalfos and Dodongos?

"Shut up!" barked the Lizalfos. He pointed at one of his comrades. "You! Get rid of the pesky sprite!"

"Hey!" Link snapped back. "You said that your master wanted me armed."

The fiend snarled. "You consider this fairy a weapon?"

"Navi is very helpful to me. Like you said, you shouldn't question your master." The Lizalfos growled at him angrily. He grunted and spat on the ground.

"Very well. What is a simple pixie going to do, anyway? All right boys, we'll take this "Navi" along with him. Now come on; the master expects us."

Link's enemy withdrew its sword from his neck, and with a few grunts, snarls and snickers, Link was brought to his feet by two Lizalfos. They held onto his arms and began to direct him forward. A Dodongo from behind him was head butting him to encourage him to move faster. The Lizalfos with Navi in hand was walking beside Link. Navi was still struggling to get free. The soldier that Link struck earlier was still on the ground, bleeding and moaning in pain. The Lizalfos that had its sword up to Link's throat earlier, who seemed to be their leader pointed at the wounded soldier.

"Bring this one to the medical wing. The ones who are escorting these two and I will continue going to the master's quarters."

The rest of the patrol began to crowd around the wounded Lizalfos as Link and his escorts continued to go deep into the cavern. Link realized that he was still holding the Kokiri's Emerald. The Lizalfos leader seemed to be eying it over its shoulder. He suddenly turned around and yanked it out of Link's hand.

"Actually, I think I'll keep this."

"Hey! Give that back!"

The Lizalfos tossed the sacred stone in its hand. "I wouldn't call this a weapon under any circumstance. Plus, what are you going to do with it in the afterlife, hm?"

Link couldn't think of anything to say, nor did he struggle to get it back; it was hopeless. Link didn't know how far his heart plummeted; he had failed. His quest was over; he had lost the Kokiri's Emerald, even though he could still see it. It was in the fiend's grasp, and there was nothing Link could do to get it back. He had let Zelda down. He had let Hyrule down. Now there was no stopping Ganondorf in obtaining the Triforce. He was a complete and utter failure, and Link knew it in the bottom of his heart that he would never be forgiven for the upcoming era of darkness.

His head started to hurt, but it didn't seem natural. Something was piercing into his mind. It couldn't be…

"Link? Can you hear me?" echoed a familiar voice. "Don't speak out loud, just think; I can hear your thoughts."

"Zelda? Is that you?" Link thought silently.

"Yes, it's me."

Link was overjoyed to hear her voice in a time like this, but at the same time he felt even more depressed. "Zelda, I've failed. I've lost the –"

"You've lost the Sacred Stone of Forest, I know."

"I'm so sorry…"

"Don't worry about it. You'll get it back in time. If you successfully defeat King Dodongo, and the attack from the Gorons is a victory, you will defiantly find the Lizalfos that took it."

Link's pride increased a little. "Are you serious?"

"I'm almost positive. Don't worry about the stone now. Concentrate on your upcoming foe and give him all you've got. I believe in you, Link. We all believe in you. You can do this; you have the potential."

"Okay. Wish me luck."

"I am. Goodbye."

Zelda's voice faded, and Link's heart rose back into position. Well, it seemed that he would have to search for his stone later, but now he had to get his adrenaline pumping if he were to take on the King of Beasts. He opened his eyes, but jumped at what he saw next. They were heading down a huge mining shaft. What shocked Link the most was that there were hundreds of soldiers now flooding out small shafts that branched off from this one. It reminded Link slightly of Hyrule Castle Town, except this time it was more of an ominous atmosphere. The Dodongos and Lizalfos poured out of these caverns, ranting and cheering. It was only now Link realised Dodongo's army's true power. They began to crowd around the walls of the tunnel, making the path narrow. They cheered and cursed at Link. Link looked up, and saw that at the top of the huge tunnel there were ledges where dozens more were. Most of them were Lizalfos, and they were throwing their arms up in the air in triumph. Some of them even threw small stones at Link. Link was pelted by a few, until the Lizalfos that was leading the patrol yelled at them. Link was thinking about the army's size. What this the entire army, or was it a mere fraction? The only way Link could find out was by asking one of his escorts. He didn't want to, but he had to know if the Gorons were actually capable of taking them on.

"Excuse me," he said shakily. "Is this your whole army?"

The Lizalfos looked at him with pride. "You are witnessing our full strength. Impressive, isn't it?"

"Indeed," said Link politely, avoiding angering the beast. Link was relieved, of course. He knew that there were plenty of Gorons in the city, and they had a fair chance at these foes as long as their leader was taken out. Now, all Link had to think about was how he was actually going to do it.

If King Dodongo was more powerful than Queen Gohma, then his body would be as hard as is dozens of shields were fastened onto it. Link feared this because he knew that if a weak point existed, it wouldn't be as obvious as Gohma's wicked eye. He supposed that he would have to rely on his wits, and Navi's, in order to get the job done. He was worried, however, because he wasn't sure if Dodongo himself had a few tricks up his sleeve.

They pressed on through the lake of soldiers, which was still cheering and roaring. Link noticed that they were pretty much at the end, because the path began to narrow and the soldiers became greater in number. Link stared at the threatening eyes staring at him all around. He saw Dodongos with their mouths wide open, ready to devour him. Some of the Lizalfos had to be held back, for they were eager as well to kill him. Link didn't worry about these enemies; they were restrained, although the Lizalfos holding him were starting to hurt his arms. Now that the end of the tunnel came into view, Link was horrified at what he saw.

At the end of a tunnel was a giant skull. It was almost as large as the tunnel itself. It appeared to have belonged to a monstrous Dodongo. Perhaps it was a previous king? This only made Link worry about King Dodongo's size. The skull's eyes glowed blood red, and its mouth was open, revealing its knife-like teeth. Inside its jaws, however, lay a particularly huge door. Two giant flags, perhaps large enough to be considered tapestries, were hung to either side of the skull. They bore the same design that was displayed on the two smaller flags that Link saw earlier at the entrance to the cavern.

At the front of the gargantuan skull, there was a Lizalfos that stood out from the others. It was dressed not in the soldier's armour, but it wore a red robe, which was beautifully decorated. It wielded a large zanbatou, which was basically a large staff with a blade at one end. It was about twice its own height, and the same flag, representing King Dodongo and his army, was attached just before where the blade started. It seemed that this Lizalfos was a very high ranking officer. The leader that was escorting Link reached this officer and bowed slightly.

"Permission to enter the master's quarters, sir?"

With a large whoosh, the officer swung its zanbatou in Link's direction, and it stopped just before his neck. The flag blew in his face a little.

"It's quite odd how young the hero is," hissed the official. "I can assure you that the master won't be too pleased."

"With all due respect, sir," replied the Lizalfos with a hint of urgency to his voice. The flag was blowing in Link's face, so he couldn't see what he was doing. "The master's orders are to bring the hero to him, alive and armed."

"What is that you have in your hand?" it asked with a slight growl.

"Oh, this? It's nothing."

"Let me see it…"

The officer flipped the zanbatou away from Link, so he could see the Lizalfos hand over the Kokiri's emerald.

"What is this?" he demanded. Link couldn't help but speak up for himself.

"It's mine. It is the Kokiri's Emerald. It is what proves who I am."

The officer gave Link a shocked look. "This is yours!"

"Yes."  
The officer turned to the Lizalfos in rage and disgust. "The master wants him armed! How dare you defy him!" Link's escort began to what looked like pleading for his life.

"It isn't a weapon! What will he do with it?"

The officer roared and crosschecked the leader in the chest, sending him to the ground. The crowd hissed, booed and cheered at the same time. "I'll tell you what he'll do with it; he should present it to King Dodongo himself in order to prove that he is actually the hero."

The Lizalfos continued to cower on the ground. Link was slightly overjoyed when he saw this, however. Was he going to get his stone back? His heart skipped a beat when the Lizalfos official approached him calmly, with one arm outstretched, holding his stone. He rummaged through Link's clothes, and found a pocket to put it in. He silently walked away. It was almost like the stone gave Link energy, for he felt it returning to him.

"Get up!" roared the official as he walloped the downed Lizalfos with the blunt end of his weapon. It scrambled to its feet, still trembling and holding its head in pain. The official stopped before the door, its back turned to Link. It looked over its shoulder to speak to Link.

"You may enter, "hero"." It lifted its arms, and as if it were magic, the door slowly raised. A rush of hot air flew into Link's face, as the two Lizalfos finally let him go. Link rubbed his arms and slowly proceeded forward, ignoring the cheers and jeers from the crowd. His leading escort looked at the ground, and didn't even bother watching him pass by. The official still looked at Link over his shoulder as Link entered the mouth of the long dead Dodongo. He might've poked his foot on one of the teeth that stuck out of the ground. He was just about to pass through the door, when the official spoke.

"I would be careful if I were you when speaking to our leader; it is his choice whether to give you a quick death, or a slow and painful demise."

Link tried to stomach that last comment, and proceeded forward into the darkness.

* * *

_Amentaris paced behind his training archers outside of the castle walls. His hands were behind his back, and he eyed the practicing bowmen closely. His feet sank slightly into the moist dirt. The small chains attached to his left hip jingled with each step, as did his leather armour creak. The soldiers' accuracy was perfect, as usual. He pivoted and stood facing his men from behind, his feet spread at shoulder length. Some of his long hair blew into his face due to the moderate breeze. He shooed it off with a quick breath. He looked off to the east to observe other warriors performing running drills, monitored by his high ranking officers. He tilted his head off to the west, and watched a pack of men practicing sword-fighting patterns. He sighed and slowly crossed his arms, turning back to the archers. _

_His army seemed too perfect…to the extent of being boring; there was no work to be done. On top of that, nothing had been happening in Hyrule since about ten years ago, before he was promoted to general; he was a commander-in-chief at the time. He was well aware of the fell beasts that hid in the shadowy corners of the land, but they hadn't shown any threat to the order of the world. If only something happened to stir things up, it would make things a lot more interesting. He supposed he should look forward to his upcoming Gerudo allies._

_The general looked to his right, and spotted three soldiers approaching him. The one in the center was an officer, while the two on either side of him seemed to be night watchmen. They approached him casually, yet there was a bit of an urgent tone to the way they walked. Amentaris quickly glanced at the archers, and then came back to the three men, who had now stopped before him, and were saluting._

"_General Amentaris, sir," said the sergeant formally and sternly. "Permission to report strange activity?"_

_Amentaris saluted back. "Permission granted. I suppose these watchmen have something to do with it?"_

"_Sir, yes sir. They say that it is a matter concerning you and only you. I think it is best to ask the actual witnesses. I'll leave you to it, sir." The sergeant saluted once more, turned on his heel swiftly, and left. Amentaris turned to the two watchmen._

"_What was this unusual activity?"_

_The one on the left spoke first. "Last night, sir, my comrade and I were monitoring the city walls bordering Hyrule field."_

_The other one spoke next. "We saw some figures moving off in the distance, and looking through our telescopes, we confirmed that they were Moblins on horseback heading towards the west. There were two of them to be exact, sir."_

_Amentaris' eyes narrowed. "Moblins…how many did you say there were?"_

_The first guard nodded as he spoke. "Two, sir."_

_Now the general's eyes widened dramatically. "Only two? Absurd! Moblins are known to travel in massive packs!"_

"_With all due respect, sir," said the second guard. "Our eyes did not deceive us."_

_Amentaris grunted. "Very well then. You may go back to your posts. Thank you for the report."_

_The two guards saluted and faded out of sight eventually. Amentaris violently turned back to the archers. He was biting his lip. It was extremely illogical for Moblins to be roaming the fields without a group. What could they have possibly been doing? Only one logical explanation lingered in the depths of his mind._

_Could they be gathering?

* * *

_

"Welcome to my domain, hero," boomed King Dodongo's voice. Link knew it was him, although it was too dark to see anything. His voice was almost like an earthquake to Link's ears.

"Where are you?" Link commanded. "I demand that you show yourself!"

Hideous laughter flowed through his ears. "You have no power here, hero. I don't think you realize who the superior here is. Besides, even your own voice doesn't sound like a full grown man. You sound more like…a child."

Link's heart began to pound against his chest. It was obvious that the tyrant did not fear him, but what was all this about him thinking that Link was fully grown?

"Who said I was an adult?" he asked a little hesitantly. There was an extremely uneasy silence. The room was so dark that even Navi couldn't light it. King Dodongo's voice seemed to come from everywhere, so Link didn't know if he was even right behind him or not. His heart was pounding so fast that he felt that it was going to explode right out of his chest.

Suddenly, the room was alit by several torches surrounding, and there, for the first time ever, Link was face to face with his enemy: King Dodongo.

Dodongo himself was colossal. He had the basic features of a regular Dodongo, as did Queen Gohma with her offspring. The major thing that made the king different from his subjects, besides his overwhelming size, was that he actually had back legs. His massive head was looking in Link's direction, and his mouth was somewhat open, surprised at Link's size. The dozens of sword-like teeth in his mouth were stained with blood and other things, while the two large ones on the bottom jaw emerged from his bright red gums like mountains. The giant horn coming out of his head looked sharp enough to shred through the entire earth. The muscles in his front legs were bulging and were pulsing with veins, strong enough to knock down the stone walls surrounding them. On his shoulders, what seemed like blue crystals were emerging through his thick scales. The three spikes on his back were like arrowheads made for giants. King Dodongo's pupil-less, blue eyes gleamed in the light that emerged from the many torches.

"What is this!" he roared. "You cannot be the hero! What were those fools thinking! He could be breaking an entry right now!"

Smoke rose out of his nostrils. Link knew what he had to do to prove that he was what he was looking for. He rummaged through his tunic, looking for the pocket that the Lizalfos official had put it in. He found one near his stomach, and pulled out the Sacred Stone of Forest. He presented it high into the air so that the tyrant could see it.

"This is proof that I am indeed the one you've been expecting! You cannot deny that I am in fact who you refer to as "the hero"!"

King Dodongo growled. Small flames emerged from the gaps between his bearing teeth. He didn't say anything, however; he knew that Link had to be the one he was expecting. Link calmly put the stone away. Butterflies were still racing around in his stomach, however.

"This is foolish," Dodongo said at last. "I find it irrational that a mere child slew Queen Gohma. How could you overcome such a task?"

Link grinned. "You don't know how many people have asked me that question. I've probably asked it to myself a few times. Although I don't quite know the answer, your highness, I can assure you that whatever helped me then, you will face now." Link slowly drew his weapons. King Dodongo, with smoke and flames still rising out of him, started to chuckle coolly.

"Cute…very cute…a pathetic little dagger and a pitiful wooden shield. Child, I don't think you know what you're up against."

Link backed up a few paces and got ready. "What do you mean?" he said, grinding his teeth. King Dodongo chortled. The entire room rumbled as he did so.

"Do you not see that you are facing something more powerful than Queen Gohma was? Do you not realize that I have devoured countless souls, without any injury to myself?" King Dodongo lowered his head darkly, and spoke threateningly. "Do you not realise, that your world is hopeless?"

Link laughed, but he was still nervous. "You're just like Queen Gohma; you have too much confidence." Link started to roll his shoulders and warm up. "So, I'd suggest we get this over with."

King Dodongo grunted. "I wouldn't know how Queen Gohma would express her own overconfidence…and you seem to think that I am no more powerful than her. Well, if that is true, tell me, could Gohma do this?"

The mighty king took in a huge breath of air. Link's clothes blew in the tyrant's direction, as he raised his shield for protection from whatever Dodongo was about to do. The air around the monster's mouth became so hot, that it caught fire just before it made contact. King Dodongo suddenly stopped inhaling, and paused for a moment. He pierced into Link's mind with his hypnotic eyes. Link's heart had now become a jackhammer. What did the fiend do?

Before Link could react, King Dodongo opened his jaws, and an enormous burst of flames shot out from his mouth. It came at Link so fast, that Link had no time to move out of the way. All he could do is bring up his shield, close his eyes, and brace himself. The atmosphere around him suddenly became extremely hot, and Link was knocked off of his feet, dropping his sword and shield. With a few flips, Link was airborne for a few moments, before slamming hard into the wall behind him. Everything went blurry, and Link fell to the ground.

King Dodongo cackled wildly as Link struggled to get to his feet. His sight returned to him eventually, and he tried to ignore the throbbing pain on the back of his head. He searched around frantically for his weapons. He found his sword on the ground to his left, and he found his shield to the right. What was frightening about his shield was that it was, in fact, on fire. Link felt so stupid. He knew that wood caught on fire easily, and he let the shield take the full force of the flaming impact. He watched his shield, which served him well, waste away into ashes. King Dodongo didn't seem to want to stop laughing.

Link took advantage of the opportunity and dove for his sword, which was still intact. He expected that Dodongo would throw another fiery blast at him, but none such thing happened. All that Link saw him do at this point was rear into the air. Link did a somersault and grabbed his remaining weapon in a flash. He immediately got up to his feet to see the mighty king pound his front legs onto the ground, which shook violently. Link was knocked about, but he remained standing. However, the center of the room did not act as Link did; it began to crack, and steam began to emerge from spaces.

The room suddenly began to grow hotter, as the cracks in the centre of the room grew larger. Soon enough, the ground was divided into hundreds of small stones. Eventually, one of the stones sunk into the ground, revealing lava underneath. Soon, all of the rocks began to sink in. The lava was merely a foot below the solid ground that Link was standing on, which was bordering the entire room. The small stones eventually entirely disappeared under the molten rock, making the room less suitable to have a battle in. There was but seven feet from the wall to the lava. King Dodongo seemed to plan this, however, for he began to make his way around the room to get to Link's side.

"Link! What are you doing! Go get him! What chances do you have?" yelled Navi. With sword in hand, Link obeyed Navi and began to charge around the perimeter of the room, avoiding the lava in the center. King Dodongo seemed to pick up his own pace as well. Both of them turned a corner at the same time, and they charged at each other head on. Link was sprinting at full speed, as Dodongo stopped suddenly, waiting for him. Link didn't let this distract him, and drew his sword back, maybe even screaming as he did so. He leapt up into the air, over the mighty tyrant's head. He swung his sword from underneath him, and struck Dodongo's massive head. Link could've sworn that he had hit a rock, for his sword simply bounced off of the beast. King Dodongo cackled, as Link landed on his back and scrambled to get off of him. Swiftly, Dodongo sent Link off of him with one swift flick of his tail. Link flew up into the air, and landed on the ground hard. With his whole body aching, Link could not get up this time.

With Link immobile, King Dodongo spun around quickly, with a smug look on his face.

"Get up! Get up, Link! Please!" Navi frantically screamed, but it was no use. Link was hurt badly. King Dodongo took a few steps, and moved his huge head in front of Link's.

"You see?" he said calmly. "There is no hope for your world. Your attempts to defeat me were foolish."

With each word Dodongo spoke, hot air flew into Link's face, making him even more uncomfortable. Link was in too much pain to say anything, so he let King Dodongo continue.

"It is fools like you that make this world frustrating. You complete one simple task, and then you believe that you are capable of doing anything. Well, let me tell you something, child. _Your_ overconfidence has led to your demise. Now, let the world be rid of you, hero!"

King Dodongo began to draw in air once more; he was going to burn Link alive! What could he do? He had nothing that could affect this monster!

Wait…what about the bombs? Maybe they could do something? A brief flashback of Zelda came back into his mind. She said that Dodongos will eat anything…it hit him. Could it work? What other options did Link have? In a desperate scramble, Link swallowed all of his pain down, and reached into the bag that Darunia gave him. He pulled out a bomb. It enlarged and lit.

King Dodongo's eyes widened as he continued to take in air. Link was breathing hard, but he was smiling.

"…and what makes _you_ frustrating for the world, your highness," Link said darkly. "…is that you simply judge people by their size."

With that, Link launched the lit bomb into the king's mouth. Failing to spit it out, King Dodongo swallowed the explosive due to him sucking in air. His massive stomach began to rumble and churn. He looked at Link, speechless and astounded. Link felt his strength returning to him as Dodongo backed away a few steps. He picked up his sword as he saw Dodongo begin to panic. He thrashed around wildly, trying to get the active bomb out of his system, but nothing happened. He roared so loud that the room trembled.

"You little pest!" he bellowed. "I'll-"

King Dodongo suddenly jolted, and fire burst out of his mouth as Link heard a muffled explosion coming from his stomach; the bomb had exploded. King Dodongo staggered a bit, coughing and wheezing with smoke coming out of his mouth, almost falling into the lava as he swayed. Eventually, with his eyes still wide open, he fell to the ground, stunned. His mouth was still open, and he was rocking back and forth in pain.

"This is it, Link!" yelled Navi. "Finish him off!"

With a huge boost of confidence, Link charged at Dodongo. The mighty tyrant still ceased to move when Link reached him. Link drew back his sword, and paused to speak.

"This is for all of the Gorons that you murdered."

Link shoved the blade into the roof of King Dodongo's mouth, and dragged it out through his nose.

With a screeching roar of pain, Dodongo leapt into the air. Blood was spewing out of his mouth, as well as flame and ash. He was in so much pain, that he swung his body around viciously. He slammed into the wall, fell down, only to get up again and holler some more. Suddenly, he tried to stand up straight, and looked at Link with disbelief. His arms buckled, and his entire body plunged into the lava.

His body disappeared for a moment, then the King of Beasts burst up to the surface, totally engulfed in flame. He screamed in absolute agony. His roars were of both his intelligent voice and of the primitive nature of the Dodongo. His arms flailed about, making splashes in the molten rock. The flames around Dodongo were so intense, that Link couldn't even make out his features anymore. Shooting balls of flame shot out from him, and Link could only assume that they were coming from Dodongo's mouth as the flames burned his body to ashes. Dodongo's movement began to slow down slightly, and his roars began to get weak. The fire seemed to burn brighter as the life faded away from the King of Beasts. Soon, the roaring stopped, and his body became perfectly still. Ever so slowly, his body disappeared beneath the waves of magma.

King Dodongo, the ruler of an army that had attempted to wipe out an innocent race, was dead.

Link collapsed to the floor in both relief and exhaustion. His arms were shaking, and he was almost at the state of hyperventilation. His mouth was wide open, and drool began to pour out. He spat all of the remaining saliva in his mouth onto the ground, and then lay down on the dirt, face first. He rolled over onto his back, and surveyed they damage that King Dodongo dealt to him. His clothes were torn, cuts and bruises were abundant, and it looked like his arms had third-degree burns.

Navi seemed to be somewhat injured as well. She glided like a fallen leaf beside Link's head. With some effort, she pulled herself up onto his nose with her arms, and sat down.

"So," she began weakly. "We've taken care of our end of the bargain. Now how are you going to signal to Darunia to attack the cavern?"

Luckily, Link thought up of a plan to do this long before he even reached King Dodongo. He painfully reached into his pocket, and pulled out his ocarina. He slipped it into his mouth.

"Just what do you plan to do with that?" Her voice seemed to fade. Link closed his eyes, and played the first few notes of Saria's Song as loud as he could. The notes echoed throughout the room they were in, and flowed like birds out of the entrance. Link could only hope that they would reach Darunia successfully.


	12. The Pieces Begin to Move

12

_The Pieces Begin to Move_

_He heard the song loud and clear. It was the same one that Link played for him earlier. Darunia chuckled. So, it looks like Link had exceeded his expectations. What a guy; he persevered through the cave and actually succeeded in defeating their leader. It was time to flush the enemy out of the cavern._

_Darunia turned to his assembled Goron army. He had summoned about three hundred, all armed and eager to fight. They were just outside the entrance to the cavern, where the giant boulder once stood. He gave them all dark blue shields and spears to use to vanquish the enemy. They were lined up perfectly in one large marching square. Some looked anxious to reclaim the cavern, while others looked nervous. Darunia himself was feeling both of these emotions, however. He had to deliver a speech before they could raid the cavern._

"_My brothers," he began. "For days now, we have been hungry for the rocks that lie within this cavern. The race of Dodongos seized control of it, and nearly sentenced us to death."_

_Some of the soldiers nodded glumly. Darunia continued._

"_However, these creatures do not know of the strength of men and of Gorons. I met a young lad today, the one who slew Queen Gohma. He agreed to help us on out mission to retake the cavern. Now, his duties to us are complete; he has once again proved his courage and skill in the act of defeating King Dodongo himself!"_

_The marching square hushed and gasped at the comment. Some of their faces seemed to lighten up a little as well._

"_Without a leader, the enemy is weak, and now is the time to take back what is rightfully ours! Let us put an end to our suffering!"_

_The army began to cheer as if they had already won._

"_Let us rid the world of these foul beasts! For our people! For brotherhood! For Hyrule!"_

_The army erupted into noise. War horns were blown, drums were beaten, soldiers hollered and spears were lifted into the air. The army was ready._

"_My brothers!" called Darunia with pride. "CHARGE!"_

_With hollering and cheering, the army burst into a stampede. Darunia leaded the way into the cavern. The ground thundered with the many footsteps of the Gorons behind him. They crowded their way into the entrance, with the clanking of spears and shields. They began to make their way into the long tunnel. The giant mass of brown and blue stormed into the cavern, not one of them looking back. The whole cavern was rumbling due to the size of the attack. Darunia began to hear voices of enemies in front of him._

"_Do you hear that!"_

"_We're under attack!"_

"_Don't look back, my brothers!" hollered Darunia as the army continued to rage into the cavern. As Darunia squinted into the growing darkness, he caught sight of a stray Lizalfos. The creature merely stood there, cowering before the mass approaching it. Darunia grinned at this opportunity to encourage his soldiers behind him. As the Lizalfos was about to turn and run to get backup, Darunia impaled it with his spear, and tossed its limp body behind him to be swallowed up by the mob. The army picked up speed, and charged towards the two flags marking the true entrance to the cavern._

"_The enemy waits behind this door!" roared Darunia. "Blast it open!"_

_Hearing Darunia's command, about five bombs flew past his head, and landed near the flags. Darunia and the crowd did not slow down, however. The bombs burst, and the wall was shattered, revealing the lobby. The army burst through, still banging drums and hollering. The lobby seemed as nothing as they exploded through it. Maintaining the same pace, they gushed into the main cavern, finding King Dodongo's army waiting for them. From a brief observation, there were about three hundred of them; they were even. However, the massive pack of different shades of green seemed to be disorganised and panicking. In the front of their blockade, a Lizalfos wearing a red robe and wielding a large zanbatou was alarmed._

"_Where is our leader!" he screamed as the Gorons pointed their spears forward. "Where is King Dodongo!"_

_It was too late. Darunia was the first to make contact with the enemy; he struck the robed Lizalfos with his spear before it could react, and beheaded it. His army blew past him, and clashed with the disorganized army. Metal clashed against metal, and screams of agony were heard frequently. Flames shot into the air from the Dodongos' fiery breaths, usually signalling their deaths. Darunia was filled with adrenaline, and burst right into the action. Blood splattered against his face as he charged through his own army, trying to reach the enemy. He had to push some aside to get to the foul beasts that opposed him. Once he caught the yellow eyes of a Lizalfos, he struck hard with his spear. It went right through its head, and blood sprayed all over the soldiers behind it. Darunia then jumped on top of a nearby Dodongo and did a bit of a golf swing to kill it instantly._

_The Goron army continued to press against the enemy, who finally began to retreat due to their massive loss in numbers. The Gorons cheered as they chased the fleeing enemy back into the depths of Dodongo's Cavern. Darunia called a war cry as he lifted his spear up victoriously into the air. The soldiers responded by doing the same as they caught up to their foes that caused them so much grief. Darunia spotted a Goron tackling a Lizalfos and launching it into a pit. Screaming, the Lizalfos plunged into the molten rock with a splash. Onslaughts of bombs were being launched in the direction of the scattering enemy. Explosions were heard from everywhere, with Lizalfos and Dodongos running around with lost limbs from the explosions, only to be slaughtered by the charging Gorons. The ground was already stained with blood and guts, but the Gorons knew they had already won. The remnants of the opposing army began to run into a large mine shaft. The Goron army, suffering minimal casualties charged after them._

_Calling for reinforcements, the fleeing enemy was met with dozens more soldiers. However, even the enemy knew that it wasn't enough. Darunia roared as the army exploded down the cavern. Just before they reached the army, they retreated once again. As he chased them, Darunia looked up at the ledges above them. He saw that some brave Gorons had found different routes to get up to them, and they were shoving Lizalfos off of the tall cliffs. Darunia had to dodge some of the plummeting Lizalfos in order to keep up with the enemy. He caught up to a Dodongo, and slashed it across the back of the neck, slowing it way down, to get eaten up by the cheering crowd. _

_One by one, the remnants of Dodongo's army faded away into nothingness. Blood was spilt, shields were splintered, and lives were ended. It was all worth it in the end, Darunia thought. They had reclaimed their food source: Dodongo's Cavern._

_Darunia slew one last Lizalfos, and saw the only remaining one rush up to a door inside a giant Dodongo skull. It banged violently on it, trying to make it open, but nothing happened. It turned around to see the Goron army slowly approach him. It looked left, then right, seeing no route of escape. It glanced at Darunia once, who had his spear pointed at him and was advancing swiftly. It panicked, withdrew its sword, and impaled itself in the temple. It fell to the ground, killed instantly. It was done; King Dodongo's army had finally been vanquished._

_Darunia's soldiers erupted into celebration. They were jumping into the air in triumph, and some Gorons even threw bombs to resemble fireworks. Bongo drums were beaten like crazy, and war horns echoed throughout the cavern walls. Darunia had other things to do than celebrate, however; there was someone he needed to thank.

* * *

_

There was a thud on the entrance to the room. Somebody was trying to beak in! Link could only hope that it was Darunia and not angry Lizalfos and Dodongos. He did hear noises outside. He heard bongo drums and war horns, and also many people cheering. It was obvious to him now that Darunia did indeed hear Link's ocarina and commenced the attack. All he was worried about now was that he didn't know if the raid was successful or not.

Navi seemed to be dozing off on his nose. Link realised a while ago that she was also badly burnt from the encounter with King Dodongo. Navi looked around the room, blinking dazedly.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied with a cough or two. "How are you doing down there?"

"All right, I guess." Link shifted his position on the ground slightly.

Another thud on the door.

"What would we do if that were an enemy?"

Navi shrugged. "I don't think we have enough strength left to do anything if that happened. We would probably let them have their way with us."

Abruptly, the door was blasted open by an explosion behind it. Chunks of the door rained down into the room, and covered Link and Navi with a thin layer of dust. Link tried to peer through the door, and could only make out a few silhouettes enter the room. He couldn't tell if they were friend of foe, but he could see that they were looking for something.

"Who are you?" Link demanded at last.

"Link? Is that you?" called Darunia's voice.

"Darunia?"

"Yeah! Where are you!"

"I'm over here! Follow my voice!"

Link was so relieved that Darunia made it. So, it looked like Dodongo's Cavern had been retaken in the name of the Gorons. Link breathed a little easier now. Darunia's massive figure began to approach him. He was making his way around the border, now realizing that there was lava in the middle. Now his features were clear; the dust began to depart. Darunia approached Link, with two other Gorons behind him. Darunia knelt beside him.

"You all right?" he asked. Link gave him a thumbs up. "Good to hear, good to hear, but it doesn't look that way now does it?" Link shook his head and might have even chuckled. "Well, don't you worry. I have just the thing, and I think you are going to like it."

Darunia reached into a pouch that he had brought along with him. It was attached to his belt, which had many other knives and weapons, as well as what looked like a bag filled with bombs like the one he gave to Link. He pulled out a blood-red jewel, somewhat surrounded with gold. It glowed slightly, and a significant heat was emanating from it. Link knew immediately what it was: the Spiritual Stone of Fire. Darunia was grinning.

"I can tell by your eyes that you know what this is. Your also probably wondering how it is actually going to help your burns."

Link nodded. Darunia chuckled slightly.

"Each of the three Spiritual Stones has a special ability. You might have already realised that the one you carry, the Spiritual Stone of Forest, has the ability to increase one's energy and confidence."

Link acknowledged what Darunia just explained to him. He remembered that when he had the Kokiri's Emerald returned to him, his pride and energy did increase dramatically.

"What does the Goron's Ruby do?" he asked.

"What it does is what you need most right now," Darunia said humorously. "It has the ability to heal wounds that are related to either magic or fire. Here, I'll show you."

Darunia gingerly held the Goron's Ruby close to Link's burns on his arm. Nothing happened, so Darunia shifted his position a little, and held it a little closer. The stone began to glow a little brighter, and Link's burns began to sizzle. It seemed like it would hurt him; but in fact, the pain actually faded, and soon disappeared. The scars of burnt tissue soon died away and transformed into regular skin. Darunia lifted the stone away, and the glow faded.

With some effort, Link struggled and got up off of the ground. Navi fluttered energetically off of his nose; it seemed that the Spiritual Stone of Fire had healed her wounds as well. Link almost stumbled back as he got up off of the ground, but Darunia was there to steady him.

"Easy there," he said. Link gave him a nod. Darunia gave him a friendly smile. It was the first time Link ever saw him so happy. "Link," he said. "I don't know how to thank you for what you've done for us." Darunia handed him the Goron's Ruby. Link tossed it up into the air, caught it, and slipped it into the same pocket as the Kokiri's Emerald. They glowed somewhat intensely when they made contact with each other.

"Well," Link said. "Consider the Spiritual Stone of Fire a symbol of you thanks."

Darunia shook his head. "Such materialistic means aren't enough to express my gratitude. I wish for you and me to become sworn brothers."

"Sworn brothers?"

"It is a Goron tradition to consider someone, who has done unto you a great deed, your sworn brother. In that sense, it would be like we are family."

Link stretched his arms. "I'd love to, Darunia, but I have to get going."

Darunia laughed. "No, no. There's no big ceremony involved or anything. Just take the Goron's Ruby as a sign of my thanks, and our friendship. Now, if you have places to go and people to see, then you should get going now; we have a lot of cleaning up to do."

"Okay. It's been a pleasure doing business with you, Darunia. I'll see you down the road."

"Oh, by the way, Link," said Darunia abruptly as Link turned to go. "I noticed a large owl with big, yellow eyes outside. He said he was looking for you. Do you know him?"

* * *

_Amentaris walked alone in the castle courtyard. Now in the evening, most of the soldiers were on guard duty outside, and the mighty general was taking some time off duty. His footsteps echoed throughout the walled passageway. Whenever he was alone, his senses would heighten, and he would turn his head to the slightest rustle. The flowers and bushes were perfectly aligned along the walls and stone paths, and swayed in the late afternoon breeze._

_The Gerudos had arrived a few hours ago to take a tour the city. The Gerudos, the disciples of Ganondorf, were an all female group. One man born every hundred years, and was destined to become their leader. Ganondorf was their king for this century. For a few centuries, the Gerudos were considered the outcasts of Hyrule because of their thieving lifestyle. However, Hyrule's current monarch, Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule, discharged them of the label, feeling that the Hylians shouldn't exclude the Gerudos from society due to their culture. Amentaris didn't disagree with the concept of the king's decision, but the feeling of it being an evil omen lingered within him. The general didn't bother to confront the king about it, for almost every one of the king's subjects knew that he wasn't flexible._

_Currently, the Gerudos could be seen touring the castle. Since the Gerudos only had one man in their cult, it was perfectly natural for them to play on the men and soldiers that roamed the castle halls. They had come onto the general himself on numerous occasions, but Amentaris wasn't the type that gave into temptations too easily. He simply ignored the women and continued along with his duties._

_Amentaris turned a corner, and spotted Ganondorf having a conversation with two young, beautiful Gerudos. One was dressed in purple, the other in orange. Their clothes were somewhat revealing, mostly in the navel area, but left most things to the imagination. Each of them wore a cloth over their mouths, making them somewhat mysterious. Their flaming red hair floated in the gentle wind. Both of them almost simultaneously glanced over to General Amentaris with their hypnotic eyes. Their sparkling, golden eye shadow gleamed in the dying sunlight. Ganondorf noticed the girls looking in the general's direction, and turned to see Amentaris as well._

"_Ah," said Ganondorf steadily. "I'm sure you two know of General Amentaris. General, this is Sliecia and Haverou."_

_General Amentaris nodded calmly. Ganondorf's voice was intelligent, precise, and monstrously deep._

"_Have these girls toured the castle yet?" asked the general. Ganondorf laughed tranquilly._

"_They've only just arrived. Many of my followers are still on their way here."_

"_As fast as many are leaving?"_

"_Yes."_

_Amentaris grunted and cracked his knuckles._

"_How have they been treating you?" asked Ganondorf mischievously. Amentaris' lips curled uncomfortably._

"_Well…with the lack of a better word, they're a little bit of the "flirty" side."_

_Ganondorf laughed wildly as the two girls giggled._

"_I would expect so," Ganondorf breathed. He crossed his arms. "Well, since you're already pacing the courtyard, do you mind taking a walk with us?"_

_Amentaris shrugged, but in a what-the-heck fashion. "Why not?"_

_Ganondorf, with Sliecia and Haverou following close behind, caught up with the general, forcing him to turn in the opposite direction. Ganondorf came up beside the general as the girls stayed behind them. Amentaris could hear them talking amongst themselves behind his back. Ganondorf didn't seem to notice, however._

"_So," said Ganondorf loosely. "How are things going, military wise?"_

"_Well," said Amentaris almost immediately. "We had a report of two stray Moblins on horseback heading towards the west."_

_Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. "Only two? Don't they travel in large groups?"_

"_That's what I said when I heard the report. The only thing that I can conclude at this point is that Moblins from all over the land are gathering, and for what, I do not know. I suppose we should be kept on our toes."_

"_Gathering?" said Ganondorf, somewhat shockingly. However, he soon chuckled. "You Hylians and your fear of monsters."_

_Amentaris turned to him with a confused look. "What do you mean?" he said with suspicion._

"_You Hylians are always so worked up about the creatures that roam Hyrule. What's so bad about them, anyway?"_

"_I don't quite follow you."_

_Ganondorf had a sudden burst of energy. "Would it be foolish to ally with them? Why not have new allies instead of having an enemy?"_

_In rage, Amentaris moved in front of Ganondorf, stopping him and the other Gerudos._

"_Because it isn't that simple. You never know what is going to happen. As for you, I am confused on how I was never informed that our newest ally had become accustomed to madness." The mighty general stormed away from the group in the opposite direction they were walking._

"_Smooth one," remarked Haverou. Ganondorf chuckled._

"_He's a smart one, and a well trained warrior if I might add. We should be careful around him."_

"_Do you think he's suspicious?" asked Sliecia with some urgency to her voice. Ganondorf shook his head, still looking at the general speeding away._

"_No, not yet. However, I think he is growing into that state. We shouldn't delay the attack for much longer, for he could brace his troops for it, and that wouldn't leave us with a lot of soldiers after the siege. Once you get back to the desert, tell the army that my orders are to make their last minute preparations, and move out as soon as possible. Try to send a message to King Dodongo as well."_

_Ganondorf and his minions continued to pace the halls as the sun continued to burn out.

* * *

_

"I am very impressed with your accomplishments, Link. You have done very well."

Kaepora had carried Link away from the now peaceful Death Mountain. They were soaring over Hyrule Field once again. Link was surprised when he exited the cavern and realised how late it actually was. The sun was going to set in about an hour or so, and that wasn't enough time to get back to Hyrule Castle as he was supposed to. Kaepora seemed to realise this as well, for it didn't look like he was heading in the direction of the city. Link was sure that Zelda would understand his lateness. Now, all that Link was worried about was where he was going to spend the night.

Just before Link left Death Mountain, Link asked Darunia if he could stay overnight. Unfortunately, Goron City had no vacancies.

The wind blew hard into Link's face, blowing his long, golden bangs wildly. He put the back of his hand above his forehead to shield his eyes from his thrashing locks. He surveyed the ground of the vast plains of Hyrule Field. The rolling hills of long grass flew by him like waves in an ocean. They flew into the direction of the setting sun, casting the hills in shadow. Link began to see a rather large hill climb over the horizon. He could see what looked like a fenced structure at the summit.

"What's that over the horizon?" Link asked, eyes fixed on the structure.

"Don't you recognise it?" hooted Kaepora. "It's Lon Lon Ranch."

Link's heart skipped a beat, remembering Malon, and the fact that she said that he could stay at the ranch anytime.

"Kaepora, drop me off there. I have a friend that will take me in."

Kaepora hooted. "A friend?"

"I met her in the city. Her name is Malon and she lives there. She said I could stay there anytime, and the same with her father."

Kaepora sighed. "I suppose it would be best. All right, I'll fly you in."

Kaepora took a deep dive towards the ground, and then levelled out, barely skimming the grass. Link, however, was being pelted in the face by a few long ones.

"Kaepora! Not that low!"

The owl ascended from the ground slightly, so that Link could open his eyes without them being bombarded. They sped towards the hill that housed the ranch at an incredible speed. The wind pounded on them fiercer than ever as the hill grew larger. Link's eyes began to water, and they leaked down his cheeks. He wiped them off, and continued to attempt to see clearly. As the sun continued to die in the evening sky, the air began to grow cold. Link already began to shiver as they reached the foot of the hill.

Kaepora suddenly flew upwards at a sharp angle, launching from the ground. Link held onto his cap, making sure it didn't come off. He made sure he didn't squash Navi in the process. Link was sure that they were way above the ranch by now, but Kaepora still didn't seem to slow down. The air began to get icy cold, and Link thought he was going to freeze to death, until Kaepora levelled out once again.

Before Link could say anything, he marvelled at the view from this altitude. He first looked in the direction he was already facing; south, and in the distance, possibly ten miles away, amidst the haze, he saw a vast lake. It was too far away for Link to determine how large it was, but it looked about a mile wide. He looked towards the east, and spotted an enormous plain of trees; The Forbidden Forest; his home. Towards the north, a few faint lights could barely be seen, possibly marking Hyrule Castle Town. Towards the east, he could see nothing but plains. Perhaps where the enemy was gathering; the desert was too distant to spot from here. Link looked below him, and marvelled at the size of Lon Lon Ranch. They were right above it, and Kaebora was circling as he descended. The ranch's perimeter was somewhat in the shape of a keyhole; the large circular part housed the field where all of the horsed roamed free, while the smaller, more rectangular end held the house and stable.

Kaepora seemed to be aiming for the large field, obviously for safety purposes. They inched closer and closer to the ground, and Link began to make out some figures roaming around on the soil. He assumed they were either horses or other animals that roamed the ranch as Kaepora explained to him the other day where they stopped outside here to rest. Now only a few dozen feet away from the ground, Link could hear cuckoos crowing; he recognised their crow from Hyrule Castle Town. Now, as they began to land, Link could view the beautiful horses of Lon Lon Ranch. Many of them seemed to be galloping around, non-stop, while others were standing around, resting. However, Link spotted a horse that was unlike the others; it was a bright red-orange colour, unlike the other horse, which was a light tan colour. This horse was also much smaller than the others, making it obvious that it was but a small pony.

With a few hard flaps of his wings, Kaepora slowed down and placed Link on the ground. He immediately got up, stretched a little bit, and looked at Kaepora.

"I'll pick you up first thing tomorrow morning. Don't be late getting up, got it? I will try to get to the castle before the princess heads off to bed. I will inform her that you have delayed you next meeting with her, and will see her tomorrow."

Link did a little bit of a playful salute, and Kaepora almost hurriedly took off. The flaps of his wings echoed throughout the ranch.

Link turned around to see the horse that he spotted earlier. It was standing in the middle of the field, seeming to be minding its own business. Link decided to approach it, for he was still curious of these mysterious animals. Cautiously, he began to sneak up on it. As he inched closer, he outstretched on of his arms, trying to touch it. Suddenly, the horse turned its head in Link's direction, neighed in terror, and quickly galloped away. Link jumped and backed up a few paces. It looked like he had startled it. He couldn't help but watch it run away, however, for it still mystified him.

"Oh. If you want so see the ranch, you'll have to talk to my dad to give you a tour," came a girl's voice from behind Link. Link spun around to see Malon standing there, with her hands behind her back. She gasped as her eyes widened and jaw dropped, bearing a smile at the same time.

"Fairy boy!"

"Hey, Malon," Link replied bashfully. Malon laughed.

"How did you get in here? I didn't see you go by our house."

Link rubbed the back of his head. "I have my ways."

Malon charged at Link and embraced him in a friendly hug so tight that she almost crushed his bones. Link coughed as she let go.

"Wow…it's only been like a day since I saw you, but it seems like forever, hasn't it?"

"I guess so, if you put it that way," said Link, fixing his clothes.

"How have you been keeping?"

"I'm a little tired."

"Really? Why?"

Link bit his lip. "I've had…things to do; big things."

Malon crossed her arms. "Like what?"

Link scratched his shoulder. "Can we discuss it later?"

"Sure. So, what brings you to the ranch?"

Link playfully kicked the dust. "I need a place to stay the night."

"Hm…" Malon tapped her foot. "My dad should be okay with that, but we'll have to ask him anyway. Did he see you come in?"

"I don't think so."

The same small stallion was galloping around in the background, staying as far away from Link as possible. It ran exceptionally fast for an infant.

"What's up with that horse over there?" asked Link as he pointed in the steed's direction. Malon turned around to see it.

"The little one?"

"Yeah."

She laughed. "That's Epona. Isn't she cute?"

"Epona? It has a name?"

Malon turned to Link with an angry face, yet she was still smiling. "It? She! And of course it has a name! Horses are people, just like us! They deserve to have names!"

"Okay, all right," he laughed. Link didn't want to insult her or her horse. "She doesn't seem too fond of me, does she?"

Malon eyed the horse. "I wouldn't say she doesn't like you. It looks more like she's just afraid of you, probably because she's never seen you before. I think she'll grow to like you in time." She turned back to Link. "Hey, thanks for finding my dad and all that. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. You were angry at him, I'm assuming?"

Malon nodded bashfully. "I've gotten over it, though."

"Well, consider it payment of the info you gave me on infiltrating the castle."

Malon's face lightened up. "Oh, how did that go, by the way?"

Link gave her the thumbs up. "Perfectly."

"Whew. Well, what did you do inside? Did you see the princess?" she joked. Link couldn't help but chuckle.

"Actually, Zelda and I have become good friends."

Malon's expression changed, and her jaw dropped. "No…you're joking."

"Sorry."

Malon burst into laugher. "Are you serious?"

Link nodded.

"Wow! That's a little more than I expected. I was worried that you were going to run into a high ranking officer inside the castle, like General Amentaris or something."

Link laughed wildly.

"Don't tell me…"

"Yup."

"Oh no! Did you have to run away from him?" she gasped. Link shook his head.

"Actually, I first talked to him when he accidentally interrupted my conversation with the princess."

Malon sighed. "Oh, so he didn't do anything?"

"Nope"

"Well, that's good. I heard that he tends to be a little aggressive with intruders."

Link shrugged. "He's actually a pretty nice guy. He helped me out with my swordplay, as a matter of fact."

"Really? Amentaris?"

"Yeah."

Malon hopped a little. "Wow, you're really lucky. I saw him compete in a tournament on one of my visits to the city. He beat everyone! I almost fell in love!"

"Um…"

Malon blushed. "I'm sorry; I got a little carried away there. So, what else happened?"

Link's lip curled. "There were many important things…things that shouldn't be spread about too much."

"What do you mean?"

Link sighed. "Well…it connects with why I'm tired, so now is not the time to discuss it."

Malon nodded. "That's cool. Are you hungry?"

Link snickered. "I thought you'd never ask. I'm starving."

Malon put her hands behind her back, and rocked back and forth on her toes. "We're just about to have dinner if you want to join us. I'm sure my dad would want to see you again, and Mr. Ingo has heard all about you."

"I'd love to," said Link as his stomach growled slightly.

"Well, come on. I think we'd better get inside; it's starting to get dark." Malon pivoted on her heel and started heading in the direction of the house. Link followed close behind Malon as she skipped along. The evening wind began to blow across the field as the two made their way across it. Malon's beautiful, shining red hair almost became one with it as well.

"Hey, what happened to your fairy?" she asked as she turned her head in Link's direction. Without saying a word, Link took off his cap, revealing Navi. Awoken, Navi scrambled and accidentally fell to the ground. Link and Malon couldn't help but laugh as Navi's glow intensified.

"What is it! What do you want!" she scowled.

"Nothing, nothing. My hat blew off in the wind."

Navi looked around. "It's not windy at all! Don't lie to me!"

"Never mind," said Link as he fixed his long green cap back onto his head. Navi grumbled as she slipped back in. They passed Epona, who was still staying as far away from Link as she could. As they advanced towards the house, Link could make out a figure lurking around outside. Due to the intense battles he faced earlier, Link almost drew out his weapons, but restrained himself; he didn't want to scare Malon. In a few moments, Link realised that it was merely Malon's father, Talon. He waved, and Malon waved back. She kind of broke into a little bit of a run, so Link had to keep up. Within a few moments, they were within arms reach of each other.

"Hi Daddy!"

"Malon, where'd ya go? I've been looking fer ya fer five minutes. Oh, this guy…"

Talon eyed Link. Link did a subtle wave.

"Don't you remember Link, Daddy? He's the one who woke you up."

Talon snapped his fingers. "Ah yeah, Link. That's yer name, aint it? I remember yeh from yesterday."

"Is you leg feeling any better?" Link added slyly. Talon blushed and snorted.

"Uh…yeah. A little."

"Daddy," said Malon. "Link is tired and hungry. He wants to stay for the night. Is that okay?"

"Sure!" Talon replied enthusiastically. "It's been a while since we had a guest round here. Sure, come on in. Make yerself at home."

Beckoning him inside, Talon stepped into the front door of the small, two-story house. Malon and Link followed. In the front door, Link noticed that both Talon and Malon were taking their boots off, supposedly because they didn't want the dirt from their boots to enter their house. Courteously, Link decided to do the same. Like him, both Malon and Talon had bare feet in their boots, he noticed. Link followed them out of the front hall and into the kitchen. The kitchen was quite small compared to the one he saw at Hyrule Castle, but then again, he knew that the Royal Family lived quite luxuriously. So, he wouldn't make too much judgement of Malon's kitchen, for he didn't know what the average kitchen size was. In this room, there was a fairly large window, with an incredible view of the ranch. It was nearly level with the horizon, making a spectacular sight of horses galloping freely across the plains.

The smell of the room was heavenly; it was a smell Link had never smelled before, but for Link, trying new things was something he was exceptionally good at.

In the centre of the room, there was a rectangular table with one chair on each side. On the left of the table, Link's left, sat a rather odd looking man. He had a peculiar shaped body, with a torso formed almost like a pear. He wore worn stained white overalls over a lime green t-shirt. His carelessly shaven shin was a match to his lopsided moustache. His bushy eyebrows moved with almost every breath he took. He was a fairly ridiculous looking man, yet Link could almost sense a modest evil lurking within him. The man began to stare at Link in the eyes.

"Eh? Who's this?" he said with a roughly.

"Oh, I'm sorry; I forgot to introduce you two," said Malon with a sweet contrast. "This here is a boy named Link, the one you have heard all about."

The man leaned his head back with interest, but didn't say anything.

"Link," said Malon. "This is Mr. Ingo. He works here with us at the ranch."

Link outstretched an arm to shake Mr. Ingo's hand, but the man ignored it. Link withdrew his arm and looked at Malon, confused. She shrugged.

As they were all getting busy with introductions, Talon was dishing up their dinner. He seemed to actually be a quiet kind of guy, at least when there were guests. Steam arose from in front of him, but Link couldn't get a good view of what the meal actually was. Malon pulled out a chair for him to sit on, the one opposite of Mr. Ingo. Link politely took a seat and leaned back a little. The chair creaked slightly. Mr. Ingo shuffled a little in his seat and began to impatiently rap his fingers on the table as Malon took a seat to Link's right. Her posture seemed a little more lady-like than Link's and Ingo's slouches.

As Link continued to stare at the girl, he noticed that Malon seemed…not herself. The joyous, cheerful smile that was constantly on her face had faded behind Link's back. It looked like something was troubling her. What it was, Link hadn't the slightest clue. It didn't seem that Ingo noticed Malon's decline in happiness, for he just lay back even further and let out a loud belch. Malon gave him a look of disgust, but he ignored it; he simply grunted and continued to rap his fingers on the table.

"Well, Link, I wanna hear all about yeh," said Talon as he turned around, carrying two plates. From Link's observation, the meals were of those noodles that were in the soup Link had for lunch in the city with Malon. This time, there was no liquid around them. Instead, they were smothered in a reddish brown, meaty sauce. Talon placed one in front of Link, and the other in front of Malon. He quickly spun around and grabbed two more for himself and Mr. Ingo.

"What is this?" Link asked curiously. As Talon sat down, he looked at him in disbelief. Ingo was staring as well.

"Yeh dun know what this is?" said a perplexed Talon. Malon decided to comment.

"Link isn't from around here…so I don't think he'll know what spaghetti is."

"Spaghetti…" murmured Link as he stared at the plate in front of him. Talon didn't seem interested in the meal, however; he was looking at Malon.

"…isn't from around here? What do ya mean? Is he from the city er somethin'?"

Malon shook her head violently, and looked at Link. "Should I tell him?" she asked quietly. Link waved a hand, inviting her to go ahead. She smiled and turned to her father. "Link's from the forest to the east."

Ingo suddenly perked up in the middle of slurping some noodles. "The forest?"

"The one that all of the stories are about. He's one of those legendary children," Malon said with pride in her voice. Talon laughed, however.

"Has this boy been tellin' yeh stories? Malon, Link couldn't be a fairy boy; it's all make-believe."

Link interrupted by clearing his throat and getting everyone to look at him. Tugging it from the end, he lifted off his cap, revealing his guardian fairy, once again awoken. Talon and Ingo jumped out of their seats as Navi groaned and tugged Link's cap back onto his head, concealing her light once again.

"N-no…the legends can't be true…can they?" muttered Mr. Ingo.

"Of course not. Just ignore everything you just saw," said Link sarcastically. Malon giggled. Ingo grunted and sat down, as did Talon.

"I…I dun believe it. Yeh fairy kids are fer real?"

Link cautiously watched how Malon and Mr. Ingo were wrapping the spaghetti around their forks and was successfully copying the technique. "Yeah, apparently," he joked as he ate a mouthful. "The thing is that people don't really notice until I reveal my little friend here." Link pointed at his cap. "I guess that's a good thing."

"Are ya embarrassed?"

"No, not really."

Talon seemed to be suddenly interested in him. No one could blame him; it wasn't every day a stranger from virtually another world would come to visit him.

"Tell me if I'm askin this too soon, boy, but…"

Link looked up from his plate.

"What do you think of this place…um…?" Talon waved his hand a little. "…outside the forest?"

Link chuckled and leaned back while chewing. "Well, I shouldn't make any judgments right away; I haven't really been here for a long time. All I can say now is that it's…big."

Both Malon and Talon laughed, while Ingo remained silent, still tackling his meal; it didn't look like he was the type who had a sense of humour.

Link was enjoying the meal to the fullest; it was another edible marvel of the outside world. The background aroma of the country that leaked through the window was making the meal even more…cozy in a way. Link liked it on the ranch already; it was unlike the forest, the city, or even Death Mountain. It had a more modest atmosphere to it, which made him feel right at home.

"So," said Talon, trying to pick up the conversation to where they left off. "What were ya doin' up at the castle when I first saw ya?"

"Um…" Link put his fork down and tapped his two index fingers on the table. "I guess I got lost," he shrugged.

"Then how'd ya know about Malon?"

"I met her before I came up. She mentioned you and told me to keep an eye out. Luckily I ran into you at the right time."

"Ah…" Talon leaned back. "So that's how it goes."

Mr. Ingo grunted and wiped his mouth with a nearby napkin, already finished his meal.

"May I be excused?" Mr. Ingo grumbled. Talon raised his head.

"Ah, sure ya can. Ya best be gettin ready fer tomorrow; yer up at 4:00 to head out to the castle for the mornin'."

"The castle?" Link looked up from his plate.

"Yeh," replied Talon. "Mr. Ingo's been called up there for a morning meeting. He'll be back 'round noon, so he won't be long."

"What kind of a meeting?"

Talon shrugged. "How am I supposed tah know? All I know is he was called up there by some guy named Ganondorf."

Link almost jumped out of his seat when Ganondorf was mentioned. "What does he want with him?" he growled. Talon seemed confused.

"It's probably just a job proposition; Ingo's finally moving ahead with his career. What? Is something the matter?"

Link sighed and slouched back down to his meal. "No…it-it's nothing."

Malon said nothing due to obliviousness.

Link gobbled down the last few noodles on his plate and scraped off the excess sauce onto his fork and devoured it as well. As Ingo left the room, Link signalled that he was finished by leaning back and performing a modest burp. Malon seemed to get excited. Link looked at her plate and realised that she was finished as well.

"Daddy, can Link and I go outside?"

Talon got up out of his seat, getting prepared to clean up. "Yeah, sure. Go ahead."

Malon burst out of her seat and almost knocked he chair over as she did so. She gripped Link's arm and dragged him out of the room. Trying not to trip, Link let Malon tug him towards the front door. She let go to hastily pull her boots on. From common sense, Link slipped on his. Now fully equipped to head on outside, Malon opened the door and proceeded out. Surprisingly, she didn't grab Link's arm as she usually would. Link decided to follow anyway.

Link was surprised at how dark it had gotten in just a few minutes. The sun has set completely, the full moon was glowing brightly, and the stars had awakened from their slumber. He followed the dimly lighted silhouette of Malon, traveling towards the field in which they met. As the cool night air sunk into his skin, Link tried his best not to shiver. Now that he thought about it, he liked it at night. Normally people would fear roaming through the endless black, but Link thought otherwise. He thought of it as a sense of adventure. The shadows would hide anything that lurked around the corner, filling him with adrenaline. The incredible power and influence of the night sky was an adventure in itself as well. The stars, as tiny as they were, seemed to carry immense power; the moon was merely there to overshadow the stars' real influence. As he stared at the heavens, Link felt gradually more insignificant. The sky made his mind drift away from the upcoming doom of Hyrule, but Link found himself more at peace when death, shadow and fire no longer lingered within the depths of his thoughts.

As Link gazed at the heavens, little did he realise that he was now approaching the centre of the field. He snapped out of it when Malon began to hum a mysterious tune. Link was drawn into the melody almost immediately. Malon just continued to walk as she hummed the melody; maybe not even realising she was doing it. Link figured the simplicity of the tune was similar to Saria's Song, but it was a little more slowly paced. Plus, it represented something other than the forest and all things playful and fun; it was a more calm and peaceful song, the kind that you could relax to. To Link, it reminded him of the glowing sun rising over vast plains, and basically the ranch itself. There was something about it that made Link want to take out his ocarina and start playing it, but before he could reach into his pocket, Malon stopped. She spun around and looked at Link, face hidden by the moon's crystal light. She slowly sat down on the lush grass.

"Have a seat," she said calmly. As Link sat down to her right, he wondered why Malon was acting so calm all of a sudden. She was usually full of energy, with large, shining blue eyes, but now she was calmer and maybe a little more mature; almost like Zelda in a way. As Link's eyes adjusted to the dark, he could see her face much clearer. She turned to him with a glum face, but smiled. Link didn't fall for her bluff, though; he knew something was wrong and he had to ask.

"What's the matter?" he asked quietly.

"What?"

"You look sad…what's wrong?"

She giggled, but there was a look of stress on her face at the same time. "Me? I'm not sad…"

"Don't lie. What's troubling you?" he said almost immediately.

"I'm sorry, Link, but I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"Heh…just listen to the tone of your voice. I can tell that you're depressed. Just tell me what's bothering you."

Out of the blue, Malon suddenly put her palms up to her face and burst into tears. Link rushed to support her body before she fell, face first into the ground.

"Whoa, easy there. Did I upset you?"

Malon gasped for air, trying to calm herself down. "No…" she sniffed. "No, you're right. I'm not feeling well."

Link sighed with relief; he was thankful he wasn't wrong about Malon's feelings. "Why are you so sad, Malon?"

She sighed, and breathed a little easier. She swallowed, and gasped as she spoke. "Have you ever wanted to express yourself to the world, but couldn't find anyone to talk to?"

Link thought for a moment or two. "No…I haven't."

Malon shrugged Link's hands off of her back, signalling that she was steady. "I had a mother that I never had the chance to get to know. Do you know how it feels to never have known your own mother?"

Link shook his head. "How could I? We Kokiri don't have mothers."

"Oh…that's right," she sobbed ironically. "But that's beside the point."

"Well, what is the point?"

She sighed. "A daughter is supposed to connect with her mother for her to be happy, just like a son with his father. I never got the chance to do anything with her, and now there is no one I can connect with. There is no one that is a girl, like me, that I can talk to about thing that only girls understand."

Link's heart began to beat hard; it sounded like Malon's troubles were pretty deep. "Have you tried connecting with your dad?"

Malon groaned. "As much as I could. There is only so much that I can talk to him about. I love him, I do…but it's not the same as having a mother around."

Link had a question in mind, but he wasn't sure if it would be wise to ask it. He thought that the only way to understand Malon's feelings was to ask as many questions as possible, so he went ahead.

"How did your mother die?" Link expected Malon to burst into tears once again, but she just continued sob slightly, as if she were expecting him to ask that.

"She was killed. My father and she were making a milk run, and the wagon was ambushed by a group of thugs led by a strange man. He used some sort of spell to suck the life out of her."

"That's horrible!" Link exclaimed, although he had a slight idea who was responsible. The way Malon was feeling about it signalled to him that she only found out recently what happened to her mother. "Malon…" Link said with an undertone in his voice. "You used the words 'supposed to be' a lot in what you've just told me."

"Yeah…" she sobbed. "So?"

"Malon, it's not supposed to be anything."

"What do you mean?"

"Who says a daughter has to connect with he mother? Is it written in a book somewhere?"

Malon sniffed and shook her head. "No…"

"Then why are you so upset about it? I'm assuming you found out about this recently because you seemed so happy when we met yesterday."

"Yes…that's true." Malon began to lighten up.

"You're just shocked about what's happened in the past. I'm sure you'll be over it in time. You'll be fine, and I'm sure life is perfect for you already. If you want an example of a bad story, you should listen to mine."

Malon smiled. "Thank you. I feel a little better now. I guess you're right; I'm just a little tender from the impact. Oh, and about your story," she said as she lay down on the grass. "You said you were going to tell me what you've been doing."

"Oh…" Link scratched the back of his head. "I guess I did, didn't I?"

Malon nodded.

"Hm…all right, I'll tell you if you promise me one thing."

Malon raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Don't tell anyone. I trust you with my secrets, so I want you to keep what you are about to hear to yourself. Understand?"

Malon nodded enthusiastically. She seemed anxious to hear Link's tale.

"Now…" said Link as he lay down as well. "Where to start…"

Malon stretched her arms. "How about from the beginning?"

"Thanks," said Link sarcastically. He put his hands behind his head and got comfortable; his story was a little lengthy. "Well, I guess it all began a few days ago…maybe about four or five."

"I think that was Monday," Malon commented. "Sorry, go on."

"Well, maybe I told you, maybe I didn't, but unlike the rest of the Kokiri, I didn't have a fairy."

"You didn't?"

"Nope, not for a long time, anyway. So, I was sleeping, having one of my usual nightmares as I told you yesterday."

"Yeah…"

Link coughed. "So I woke up, and suddenly, my little friend here –" Link pointed at his cap. "- came to great me. Navi had been sent by the Great Deku Tree – I guess you could call him my father – to be my guardian fairy. So, I guess my reputation rose slightly when I revealed it to everyone."

Malon chuckled. Link eyed the night sky as he continued.

"Navi told me that I had to go see the Deku Tree for something important, so I agreed to go see him. In order to get to him, however, I had to get a sword and shield, but my best friend, Saria, helped me out with that obstacle."

"Saria…" mumbled Malon. "Is she nice?"

"Very," said Link with a hint of pride. "So, anyway. I went to see him, and he told me that he had been cursed. He wanted me to enter his heart, or his roots which I figured out by the way, and defeat a creature that lurked within him. Beside the tree, I found this slingshot sticking out of the ground." Link pulled out his slingshot and presented it to Malon. It soon disappeared under Link's emerald green tunic. "When I yanked it out of the ground, the floor crumbled beneath me, and I fell."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. So down there, I came face-to-face with Queen Gohma, the Queen of Parasites."

"Queen Godma?"

"No, _Gohma_."

"Gohma, eh? She sounds pretty nasty," Malon breathed.

"She!" Link tilted his head from side to side. "…I guess you could call Gohma a she…but I like to think of it as an _it_."

Malon giggled. "What did _it_ look like?"

"Oh man," Link sighed. "Well, it was about two or three times as big as me, with two arms that stretched about five feet each. The arms were covered in natural armour, with several spikes and curves, making it look invincible. Its claws were like swords, and its giant, bulging eye glowed as bright as Navi."

"Wow…and let me guess; you beat it, right?"

"I sure did, but with a little bit of a struggle, of course. So, after I defeated it, the Deku Tree unfortunately passed away, unable to sustain himself under such an evil curse. His dying wish was for me to go to Hyrule Castle and see the princess. Before I departed, Saria gave me this." Link withdrew the Kokiri's Emerald. It continued to shine with a brilliant emerald radiance.

"Oooh…pretty. What's it for?"

"I'm getting to that," said Link as he pocketed the stone. "So, with the help of Kaepora Gaebora, the owl, I made my way to Hyrule Castle Town, where I met you, Malon."

"…and I'm sure I can fill in the gap between meeting you and seeing you off at the castle," said Malon smugly.

"Right…so, I got your dad out of there, and went inside the castle. There, I met one of the fairest girls I've ever set eyes upon."

"Princess Zelda," Malon concluded.

"She said that I was in her dream that she believed to be a prophecy. She said that I was destined to save Hyrule. Heh…it's funny how much slaughtering a giant parasite can do to you."

Malon laughed.

"She said that the stone that I held was a magical item; it was one of the three Spiritual Stones, which are keys to entering the Sacred Realm."

"Oh…I've head about that. Isn't that where the Triforce is?" Malon asked.

"I see you've heard of it. With the three stones, the Ocarina of Time, which is in the possession of the Royal Family – more specifically Princess Zelda – , and the mysterious final key that is located in a sacred shrine within the Temple of Time, I would be able to get the Triforce, and make a wish."

"You get to make a wish?" Malon asked as she turned her head towards him.

"Yes. You can wish anything you want, but there's a catch; if you're heart is pure, the realm will become a paradise; if you have an evil mind, the realm will become full of evil."

"So…if you get inside, what will you wish for?"

Link contemplated that comment for a minute. "You know what? I've never thought about it. I'd probably wish to prevent Ganondorf's rise to power."

"Ganondorf? Isn't that the guy Ingo's going to see?"

Link sighed heavily. "I guess I'm going to have to tell you about him."

"What? Is there something wrong with him?"

Link chuckled. "I guess you can say that as an understatement. Ganondorf is an extremely sick and twisted individual. He is the leader of the Gerudos, wields malevolent magic powers, and also seeks the Triforce. I believe he is the one responsible for your mother's passing."

"What!" Malon sat up.

"Calm down, let's not get back into that."

With a shocked stare, Malon slowly levelled back to the ground.

"He is also the one who placed the curse upon the Deku Tree. Neither Zelda nor I know anyone who can withstand someone with such immense power, so a showdown wouldn't be wise to stop his plot to attack Hyrule Castle, overthrow the king, and become the new monarch. Obtaining the Triforce is the only way to stop him. He doesn't know of our plans yet, but we are doing our best to retrieve all of the keys to the Sacred Realm before he learns of our scheme."

"Wow…that's a pretty heavy task you have there," Malon gasped.

"I almost refused to do it," said Link ironically. "Zelda told me where to get the next stone, which was located in the hands of the Gorons, who reside on Death Mountain. Upon arriving there the next morning, I met with Darunia, the Goron chief. He said that he would give me the stone if I helped them with the situation that they were in."

"What was happening?"

"Dodongo's Cavern, the source of the Goron's food supply, was raided by King Dodongo and his army. They sealed off the entrance in an attempt to starve the race."

"What a horrible thing to do!" Malon exclaimed.

"That's what I thought. Darunia had a plan though; if I infiltrated the cave and defeated King Dodongo, the army would become disorganised, making them vulnerable to attack."

"King Dodongo…I think I've seen pictures of him before. He kind of looks like a dinosaur, doesn't he?"

"Yes, he does…well he _did_."

"Oh, you beat him too?"

"I guess killing giant monsters comes naturally to me. Anyway, the attack was successful, and the Gorons were grateful that I helped them get their food supply back. In thanks, Darunia gave me this."

Link removed the Goron's Ruby. It glowed with the fires of a thousand volcanoes. The blood red radiance then disappeared into Link's pocket.

"So, after a few goodbyes, Kaepora Gaebora carried me away from the now safe Death Mountain. There wasn't enough time to get back to the castle, so we made a stop here."

"Ohhh…so _that's_ why I didn't see you come in through the front gate; you came in from the sky!"

"If you put it that way, yes, I did. Kaepora is going to pick me up tomorrow so we can head off to Hyrule Castle."

"I see…"

Off in the distance, Link heard a small horses call. Link directed his eyes to his right to spot a silhouette of a small pony, outline in the moon's silver light. From what Link could see it was heading straight for them. Epona's dark eyes gleamed brightly, like two lighthouses on a dark shore. Epona was indeed a beautiful horse. Dust was billowing behind her as she ran, and Link could've sworn he was feeling small vibrations in the ground with each hoof that made contact with the ground. For some strange reason, the moonlight that illuminated the field in a silvery glow made Epona more mysterious. Malon also seemed to notice Epona's approach. She sat up and folded her arms over her knees. She began to whistle the same tune that she was humming earlier. What was that song? Link could no longer hold back his curiosity; he had to ask.

"What is that song?" he breathed. Malon looked at him and grinned. It seemed as if she had been waiting for him to ask that question. She ceased to whistle as Epona slowed down to a halt beside her and began to nudge her head on Malon's shoulder. She stroked Epona's nose delicately.

"My mother wrote that a long time ago."

Link leaned forward slightly. "Your mother?"

Malon nodded. "She never did get around to completely finishing it. I guess it will remain without lyrics, but I think it is pretty just the way it is. I think Epona has gotten quite fond of it as well. She seems to be affectionate to anyone who performs it."

"Really?" Link found himself submerged in interest. "What is the song called?"

"My mother called it Melody of the Sun and Pasture, but since Epona likes the song so much, I like to call it Epona's Song."

Link scratched his chin. "Epona's Song…um…hey, can you…" Link slowly reached into his pocket and withdrew the cream-coloured ocarina that Saria gave to him. "…can you teach it to me?"

"Teach you?" Malon raised an eyebrow. "How can I teach it to you? Can you read music?"

Link didn't even know what reading music was, so he shook his head.

"Then how am I supposed to teach you the song?"

There was a long pause.

"I have an idea," said Link at last. "You sing each note, one at a time, and I can see if I can find it on my ocarina here."

Malon let out a deep sigh. "All right. Here's the first note…"

Malon hummed the first note of Epona's song, and Link began to play around with the ocarina, searching for the tone.

* * *

_Ganondorf was waiting outside the city walls, facing Hyrule field. He had told the castle that he had simply gone out for a short walk, but, of course, he lied. He had arranged a meeting here with his officials for a report of his current military status. To avoid being spotted by the city's border patrol guards, who resided on the top of the city walls, or by mere civilians, he had travelled to the west side of the city, and hung close to the wall. His arms were folded loosely, but he was slowly tightening them due to the icy cold winds of Hyrule Field at night._

_He surveyed the vast plains. Although not much could be seen amidst the darkness, Ganondorf knew how colossal the plains of Hyrule were. He found it humorous that such wide, open space was ignored so commonly. The section of Hyrule field that could be seen up to the horizon was named the Royal Plains. Countless battles have been fought here, all of which were fought between the Hylians and the Gerudos. The last one, which dated about ten years or so, was a major siege on the city walls. It was the closest they ever got to the castle. However, this attack was performed without his command. A secret gang of Gerudos had planned this attack, and went ahead without Ganondorf's approval. Approximately a thousand had charged before the very wall he was leaning on right now. Ganondorf knew at the time what such an attack would do to the world. A huge war was ignited after the attack took place. Most of the races were against him, but there were other conflicts as well within the other nations of Hyrule. The Gorons were fighting the Zoras, and armies of Hylians had invaded the Forbidden Forest. Eventually, the Gorons allied with the Zoras, and they maintained their numbers. However, the Hylian armies that had entered the forest were annihilated by Phantom's army, who Ganondorf confronted later to start his own army of monsters and creatures alike. Ever since the Hylian attacks, Phantom's forces had suffered their own losses as well. Although they are regrouping, Phantom was indeed vulnerable at this point. Phantom himself is what is known to Hyrule what is called a shape-shifter. He is an apparition of some sort that is able to take shape of anything it has seen before. No one, not even Ganondorf himself, has seen Phantom's true form. Although he had seen the mighty spirit in many shapes, Phantom tends to resemble himself as either red mist or two flaming eyes. Phantom is not afraid to take out intruders on his own, but Ganondorf feared that that behaviour would prove to be a disadvantage eventually. The war that was fought ten years ago eventually burned out and died. The attacks eventually simply ceased. However, because of this war, the Shiekah, the guardians of the Royal Family, sacrificed themselves in battle, and became extinct. It was no wonder Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule wanted to ally with him so badly; he wanted a secure peace within the land._

_With Ganondorf's army supposedly fully gathered in the Plains of Steel near Gerudo Fortress, that peace won't last long._

_Ganondorf peered off into the distance and saw two dark figures approaching him. It seemed that his officials he had summoned had come ahead of schedule. At least there was even less of a chance that the castle would begin to get suspicious. The officers that he had called up here were two of his fellow Gerudos on horseback. Their horses' eyes were like two glowing rubies, while the Gerudos' eyes themselves were like diamonds. They were now less than a few feet away from their king._

"_Lord Ganondorf," said one of them as they both bowed. They dismounted and bowed yet again._

"_I assume you both know while I've summoned you while still undercover?" said Ganondorf with dignity in his voice._

"_Yes, my lord. We come bearing the report that you requested."_

_Ganondorf grinned. "Well done. Let's see, how about we start off with the status of the main forces?"_

"_We have informed them of you orders, master," said the first female officer._

"_They have been waiting anxiously for your instructions. Your forces are moving directly towards the castle."_

_Ganondorf chuckled and maybe even pumped a fist. "Excellent. What is the final count?"_

"_Our tallies have estimated that our strength is approximately seven to ten thousand, sir."_

_Seven to ten thousand…outstanding. Never has an army so massive walked the land of Hyrule. The attack was surely going to be spectacular. If early detection is not an issue, that fool Amentaris wouldn't know what hit him. Ganondorf might as well yank the crown off of the king's head and put it on his own. Although Ganondorf's own forces were more than enough to besiege Hyrule Castle, he had to know about his other armed forces._

"_Has King Dodongo received my orders as well? Has his army dispatched?"_

_The two Gerudos bit their lips. Something was definitely wrong._

"_What?" Ganondorf growled. "Did you not inform him?"_

"_I apologise for speaking in a casual tone, sir, but about him…"_

_Ganondorf's eyes widened, and then narrowed again. "What is this? You don't mean to tell me…"_

"_King Dodongo is dead, sir."_

_Ganondorf's blood froze after hearing this. "Wh-what! How did this happen!"_

_The guards sighed simultaneously. "Whoever killed him was undetectable. All we are aware of is that King Dodongo was killed before the army was vanquished. The Gorons retaliated after the military lost its leader. I'm sorry, Lord Ganondorf. There was nothing we could do."_

_Mortified, Ganondorf let out a scream of anguish, and with his rage, he slammed his fist right through a nearby tree. Pieces of woods and bark were strewn all over the ground, and Ganondorf's fist was opening and closing as it remained on the other side of the tree. His head was tilted towards the ground, face hidden in shadow. King Dodongo was not only one of Ganondorf's major generals, but a good friend as well. Whoever was responsible for this would never get past him. Ganondorf brutally yanked his hand out of the tree. The tree shook violently and many leaves fell and scattered over the trampled terrain._

_Despite his heavy breathing, Ganondorf grinned. Once he thought about it, it was obvious who had done this: that little kid he had met the other day, Link. That little boy from the forest that had also murdered his pet, Queen Gohma, had now cut off a large portion of his army. Ganondorf chuckled; it seemed like a mere child was onto him and his plan. Ganondorf clenched his hand and squeezed. Zelda…she was using the boy to make an attempt to foil his plans. She was smart, that girl; using a lone child with promise to cut of his divisions was a clever plan. However, why did she target King Dodongo? Was it the location? Was it about the Gorons? Wait…the Gorons…did they have something that they needed? Hold on, Ganondorf remembered that that kid had one of the Spiritual Stones. If he went to the mountains next…he was after the Spiritual Stones! He was trying to obtain the Triforce before he did! Ganondorf let out a wild laugh. Their plan was brilliant. If he was not mistaken, Zelda would tell the boy to head out to where the Zoras are next, to seize the last Spiritual Stone: The Zora's Sapphire. Now he understood what they were up to. Zelda knew of his plans, and had told them to that boy. It amused Ganondorf that a little boy would pose as more of a threat to his plans than the Hyrulian army._

"_Lord Ganondorf, are you all right?" asked one of the officials._

"_I know who was responsible for King Dodongo's death," Ganondorf muttered._

"_Who is it?" they burst out. "We will make sure the individual is captured."_

_Ganondorf chuckled and turned around, shaking his head. "No…" he grinned. "I have a better idea."_


	13. The Return to Hyrule Castle

13

_The Return to Hyrule Castle_

"Ugh…what time is it?"

Link rose up out of the guest bed, next to Malon's. Dressed in a baby-blue nightgown, Malon leaned out the window on the far side of the room. She looked up at the bright morning sky and squinted as she surveyed the sun's position.

"Good grief! I'd say it's around 12:30! It looks like we slept in."

Link was impressed that Malon could tell the time by just looking at the sun. "I don't know a lot of people that can do that," he complimented.

"People who can do what?"

"Tell the time by looking at the sun."

"I didn't look at the sun; I saw Mr. Ingo come back from his trip to the castle."

"Oh…"

Slightly embarrassed, Link crept out of his bed. Malon ducked her head back into the room. With her bright, shining face looking in Link's direction, it seemed that the old Malon was back. With the song that she taught him last night still playing in an endless loop in his head, Link began to make his way to the door. However, he jumped when he heard Malon scream, followed by the flapping of wings. Link spun around to see Malon drawn aback, staring at Kaepora Gaebora, hovering just outside the window. The owl spotted Link with his giant yellow eyes.

"Link! What in blazes are you doing! I told you to be out in the morning!"

"Oh, sorry Kaepora; I slept in."

Kaepora grunted. "Get outside, _now_. We can't keep the princess waiting!"

"Sorry…sorry!" blurted Link as he hurried out the door. Malon pursued. Link rushed out onto the staircase downstairs like the wind itself. On the right side of the wall, he snatched his cap, with Navi flying out of it as he slapped it onto his head. It seemed like she had been waiting for him as well. As Link and Malon rushed through the kitchen, the front door opened, and Mr. Ingo stepped in. As Link literally leapt for his boots, Malon greeted Ingo.

"Hello Mr. Ingo. How did the meeting go?"

"It was fine, I guess," grunted the man.

"What did they talk about?"

Mr. Ingo slowly turned to Malon, bearing a malicious grin. He then turned away and headed out of the room. Not paying any attention to what was happening, Link hopped on one foot as he tugged one of his chocolate-brown boots onto his other. Now with both his boots on, and Navi crossing her arms impatiently, Link was ready to go.

"Well, thanks for letting me stay," thanked Link. Malon waved a hand.

"Don't mention it. We always enjoy visitors."

Link sighed deeply. "Well, I guess I better get going."

Malon seemed saddened by this. It looked like she was going to cry. Unable to bear seeing Malon's saddened face, Link turned and began to open the door. Suddenly, Malon spoke.

"Are you going to come back?"

Link stopped short of stepping outside, but didn't turn around. His long, blonde bangs that hung out of his emerald-green cap waved slightly in the wind, and hid his face somewhat, like thin curtains in front of an open window.

"I can't say I will, and I can't say I won't. It all depends."

"And…" Malon took a step forward. "What does it depend on?"

Link turned his head, with his golden bangs sawing back and forth across his face, bearing a warm smile.

"What it depends on," he began. "Also depends."

With that, Link stepped outside and shut the door behind him, without a backward glance.

Stepping out into the sticky heat of the country, Link folded his hands behind his head, and leaned back, stretching. Link let go with a long sigh. Kaepora soared overhead, blocking out the sun every so often. Navi seemed a little more energetic than usual; she was flying this way and that at lightning speed. Although, it was to be expected thanks to the excessive amount of sleep she had gotten.

"Come on! What's taking that owl so long?" complained Navi. Link merely laughed.

"Are you that anxious to get back to the castle? I hope you realise that you're going to have to hide again."

"For _your_ information, I am not an idiot!" clucked Navi. "I just hate the country!"

Link grinned. "All right. Calm down a little bit, though."

"Hmph! Since when did you get so calm?" said Navi, crossing her arms. "I think you've matured a little to be honest…" she mumbled.

"You think so?" said Link, squinting. "Maybe I have, but I think you have some work to do as well," he joked.

"Hey!" squawked Navi as darted towards Link's face. Her bright red irises stared into Link's sky blue ones. Suddenly, Navi's facial expression turned into that of embarrassment, and she slowly fluttered away. "Fine…you've made your point." Navi was the type that tended to take jokes a little too seriously. Kaepora circled close to the ground, and perched on the roof of Malon's house. The owl glanced at him with a stern look.

"Are you prepared for departure, Link?" he asked coolly. Link nodded once. With that, Kaepora took off from the roof and swooped down towards Link's location, and outstretched his talons. Abruptly, Navi fluttered inside Link's cap. With a somewhat heavy impact, Link was lifted off the ground and into the air. Hot wind flew past his ears, creating a howling effect. Kaepora angled himself upwards, and made a slow ascent. Soon enough, Lon Lon Ranch became small enough so that Link could put his thumb up in front of his face and make it match the size of the area. Now, Link leaned back and enjoyed the view.

"When I say get up in the morning, I mean the morning. Do you understand?" hooted Kaepora. Link looked up at the mighty owl, still wielding a comical attitude.

"Are you the type that would hold a grudge?"

Kaepora hooted in what sounded like alarm. However, it didn't sound like he was reacting to Link's comment. It seemed like…he was panicking.

"What is it?" Link asked. "What's wrong?"

"L-Link! Do y-you see that! Over the horizon! To the West!"

With some effort, Link turned his head to the left of direction Kaepora was flying in. In other words, west. There was nothing. He could see the rolling hills and tall grasses of Hyrule field, and a small cliff at the border, beyond it lay orangey-brown terrain; the desert. However, other than that, Link saw nothing.

"I don't see anything. Is it something to do with the desert?"

"Do you see a large dark patch in the sands?"

Link turned back towards the west, and this time looked much harder. He scanned the horizon of the desert, but continued to see nothing but sand. Suddenly, Link let his eyes wander over a large shadow on the desert. It was about a mile long, for what Link could determine. However, a shadow that large couldn't be cast by anything in the desert; it was too flat like. There was something about the shade that seemed out of place; something not natural.

"Yeah…" Link whispered. "There is a large darkness in the middle of the desert, but I don't know what is casting it. Is it the shadow of a cloud or something?" he said as he looked up at the sky in search of a cloud passing by the cloud, but unfortunately, there was not a cloud to be seen in the entire sky, except for one large one to the south, looking like it was carrying rain.

"Link…" Kaepora whispered shakily, almost a shudder. "…that is no shadow."

Link up at the giant bird with a look of what looked like fear. "What? It's not? Then what is it then?"

Kaepora Gaebora cringed painfully. Something about this patch of darkness was really disturbing him. "Link, that 'shadow' is the enemy army."

"What! You can't be serious!" Link almost sat up in alarm. Could the giant shadow be Ganondorf's besiegers? But the diameter of it was almost a mile long! How could it be an assembled army? It was far too gargantuan.

"I'm sorry, Link, but I believe my eyes do not deceive me. The army in black you are now viewing is the exact same as the one that will besiege Hyrule Castle."

"No!" Link gripped his head in stress. "It-it can't be! Not now! I haven't even got the last stone yet! I don't believe it…I _won't_ believe it. It's impossible that no one saw this coming." Link crossed his arms in frustration.

Kaepora hooted a deep sigh. He closed his eyes slowly. It seemed that he was concentrating on something while flying and carrying Link at the same time.

"If you believe your eyes deceive you, then let me provide you proof."

"Proof?"

"I will lend you my powers. I will let you telepathically get a closer look of the army to the west that you now deny exists. Are you ready, Link? Feel free to speak to me during the vision. Now, close your eyes…"

Seeing that Kaepora was about to do something, Link hastily shut his eyes. At first, all he saw was black, as he usually would when he closed his eyes. Black…the colour of this "army"…it was a mere shadow and Link knew it was. Link had never heard of a military so huge…not even in the tallest of tales that he was told back in the forest. Saria would always tell him, "Just because I say something is that large, or small, great, weak, doesn't mean it really is as grand as I say it is; I merely exaggerate for the sake of making the story interesting."

Link had heard of giants as tall as mountains, and vast seas that no one can cross; they yield no fish to catch. But an army, a mile in diameter, marching towards a castle that represents nothing but peace, harmony, and fairness, was never heard in stories. Link didn't believe Kaepora's words; until he began to see faint colours appear under his eyelids. At first, they were faint but large dots of grey, black, and orange, but soon, the dots grew smaller, and greater in number. The picture he was seeing began to get clearer as he watched the dots change colour, looking like the picture was moving. Suddenly, the dots connected with each other, creating a blurry image of dark shapes moving. The image began to grow crystal clear, and soon, Link understood what Kaepora was showing him; he was right; the enemy had gathered and was moving.

What Link was watching now was horrifying. He was looking at an angle that showed each line of soldiers passing by, like waves in a vast ocean of black. Moblins, the bulldog-like creatures that Link saw in his accidental vision, and Lizalfos similar to the ones he encountered in Dodongo's Cavern, were passing by in perfectly straight lines, hundreds of soldiers to each line. Although the Moblins he saw in his vision were in golden armour, and the Lizalfos in Dodongo's Cavern wore green and red, all of these soldiers wore a greyish black. It seemed like they were individually dressed in the colour, but with the same kind of armour that they would wear normally.

"Link…can you hear me?" said Kaepora's voice.

"Yes…" Link replied shakily. "This is awful…"

"Indeed…" said Kaepora with fear in his voice as well. "Now do you see it, Link? Do you now see the monstrosity of this army?"

"Yes…" Link replied again. "It's horrible…Kaepora, are there enough soldiers at Hyrule Castle to beat these guys?"

Link could hear Kaepora shudder. "I fear there isn't, Link. I have never seen an armed force this giant." The soldiers continued to march past Link's eyes. Endless lines of pure, reckless hatred. The pounding of feet and clanking of armour was so massive it was almost like a thousand mountains crumbling. Anyone could mistake this force as a shadow; there were just so many troops. Link began to get overwhelmed; he had never seen so many people at once; not even in Hyrule Castle Town. Suddenly, the angle that Kaepora was showing him changed to a point of view which he could see over the heads of the thousands of soldiers, and somewhat close to the rear. Over the tops of the endless Lizalfos and Moblins, near the end of the giant marching square, the units seemed to change.

"Kaepora," said Link in a hushed tone. "There are different creatures near the back."

"Yes, Link. I must ask if you wish to see them."

"Yes…" Link shuddered. "Show me…"

Link virtually soared over the massive attack force, near the end of the endless black. Now he saw what looked like the average Lizalfos, but different. These new creatures wielded giant machetes. They had spikes that ran all the way down their back, and had a slight hump. Their snouts were much larger, and their wicked teeth were much well-built.

"Wh-what are those things!" Link asked hastily. Kaepora sighed fearfully.

"Those creatures are cousins to the Lizalfos species that I expect you know very well. They are much better trained, and their strength exceeds that of an ordinary Lizalfos. The creatures you see before you are Dinofos."

"Dinofos…" Link almost whispered. The fear was grabbing him so hard he thought he was going to collapse. "What other creatures are here?"

"Let us hope the Dinofos are the last of our worries," Kaepora hooted. The last of their worries? The force was overwhelming enough. Suddenly, Kaepora let out a shrill gasp of terror. It was something had just sucked his soul out. "_By the fires of Din!_" he shrieked in absolute horror. Link was about to ask, as usual, what he was panicking about, but it didn't take too long to find what struck Kaepora with the utmost fear; he saw them.

They were unlike anything Link had ever seen. They were massive warriors, shrouded in thick armour. Their helmets themselves covered the entire head, with several holes in the front for them to see out of. Two curved and wavy metallic horns stuck out of their helms, one longer than the other. Gleaming sliver chest armour (making their bodies look as large as a brick house), shoulder armour, all the way down to their gauntlets shone in the rising sun. The very few places where their enormous armour left a gap were covered in layers of chain mail. Massive thick plates of steel hung down from their waist, covering their thighs. Their shins were covered in specially fitted plates of metal, and even their feet were encased in armour. They wielded colossal, two-handed double-sided axes that were made out of the finest of steel. The blades themselves were probably larger than Link. They held them across their waist. They all marched in slow and steady paces, almost to the beat of a ticking clock. There was only one line of these unapproachable warriors; about a hundred of them. Each step they took was like rolling thunder.

"What…wha…what are those….things!" Link exclaimed. He could feel Kaepora's terror flow through him.

"Those…are…" Kaepora said with a tone of disbelief. "…Iron Knuckles…"

"Iron Knuckles?"

"I can't believe what I am seeing here. These warriors have only been spoken of in legend!"

"What are they?" Link said, eyes glued to the marching giants.

"They are the greatest warriors in the world, Link. The legends say that it is impossible for them to die, for their skills in combat are far too advanced for any mortal to compete against. They've trained for hundreds of years. Their armour was forged in the center of the Earth, and their axes in the fires of the sun. No one knows if they are human or beast, but one thing remains certain: no one of this, or any recent generations have ever seen them fight. Although great military leaders are aware of the legends, and to be a great leader, they have to know of any warriors mentioned in legend, and their skills. Iron Knuckles are of the utmost skill and power, however. They can slice a mountain in two, and then hurl the shards at their foes with relative ease. Only by the footnotes of legend that mentioned these warriors have I gained hope that they might have one day helped us physically defeat Ganondorf, but it appears his influence is stronger that I anticipated, and it looks like they are loyal to him now. To round a hundred…a _hundred_ of these fighters, would require immense influence, control, and power. Now, seeing this, I do not know the true nature of Ganondorf's might. It appears that I was wrong about him…he is indeed powerful."

As Link continued to watch the menacing knights pass by, jaw dropped, his heart pounded on his chest like a jackhammer. He had never heard of warriors that powerful before. With so many before him, Link thought he was going to pass out. Although it appeared that they were the troops bringing up the rear, Link was confused.

"Kaepora, shouldn't they have some sort of leader?"

Kaepora's voice sounded confused. "A leader? That would be Ganondorf, of course."

"No!" Link blurted out. "I mean a leader that will lead them into battle; Ganondorf is undercover in the castle."

"Oh…then I suggest you look up, Link."

Heeding Kaepora's words, Link looked about ten feet about the army, and he saw him. A dark being hovered above the massive brigade, feet together and arms crossed. Wearing a large, jet-black, open trench coat that hung about a foot or two below his feet, and metallic boots and gauntlets, he was quite a mysterious yet intimidating figure. What was most noticeable about him, however, was his helmet. It, like the rest of his clothing, was pitch-black. It covered his entire head, and his face. There were no holes to see out of; just a sheet of dark metal covering his face. However, it still looked like he could see, he was surveying his troops. Off all of the things Link had seen on his adventure so far, this guy was the creepiest.

"Who's that? Who is he?" Link asked Kaepora, eyes quivering.

"The figure you see before you is the mighty Kanakana: Ganondorf's second-in-command. He will be leading the troops before you to Hyrule Castle, and will give the orders. He was born without sight, so he sought out the shadow folk: the Shiekah, for guidance. Feeling sympathy for the youth, a Shiekah leader brought Kanakana into his care. Kanakana was taught the ways of the Shiekah in order to use them benevolently. Kanakana proved to learn the Shiekah's way of life quite quickly. Within about ten years or so, Kanakana began to exceed the powers of his teacher. He could now see without his eyes, and move objects with his mind; he had indeed become very powerful. Soon, a dark aura began to emanate from Kanakana, which struck the Shiekah with fear. However, Kanakana's teacher believed that it was all mere suspicion.

"Nonetheless, the rumours became fact, and now realising his superior powers, Kanakana betrayed his master and slew him during the night. Wielding the gift of flight, Kanakana used it to flee to the desert, so the Shiekah wouldn't get their revenge on him. In the desert, Kanakana crossed paths with Ganondorf, and swore allegiance. During the Great War that was fought ten years ago, Kanakana commanded a large portion of the Gerudo army. Ironically, it was Kanakana's army itself that finally wiped the Shiekah off the face of the earth. As they lay on their deathbeds, the Shiekah cursed Kanakana to his very soul. He remains cursed to this day, but the effects of the curse have not yet come to pass. An excellent and experienced general, Kanakana was the perfect choice to make for this besiegement. He has also has composed his own language that only Ganondorf and his army can understand, so we can never overhear of their plans."

As Link stared at Kanakana, the mighty general looked more and more threatening. Suddenly, as if he has been struck by lightning and had received a sudden burst of energy, Kanakana threw back his heavy trench coat with a giant flap. He spoke to his army in a voice like no other. It was like a giant creature speaking out of an endless void. It was almost machinelike

"_Heiu def majnek nu whay!_" he bellowed in a steely voice. The army responded in a giant roar, with spears, swords and axes lifted into the air almost triumphantly. Kanakana threw his arms to the sky in a dramatic pose as he spoke again.

"_Tohma juksen def yiktor dok Hyrule Castle! Norhma viscah!"_

The army cheered again. Although he had no idea what he was saying exactly, Link assumed Kanakana was referring to how they are going to win the attack. Kanakana threw back his arms one last time, and his trench coat waved in the high winds. Link could almost feel dark energy flowing out of the general's body.

"_Niek yuse!"_

The army cheered louder than ever. Even the Iron Knuckles were slamming their giant axes into the ground, making quaking crashes. It was absolutely horrific. Link couldn't bear to see this anymore; he wanted out.

"Kaepora! I don't want to see this anymore! Bring me back!"

"Open your eyes, Link…"

The images seemed so real, Link forgot his eyes were closed the whole time. With an effort, he pried them open, revealing the empty grasses of Hyrule Field. Kaepora looked onward, no longer looking at the army to the west. However, Link still had to look. His eyes travelled westward, and they crossed paths with the giant dark shadow. His heart plummeted yet again, and he was forced to avert his eyes. Knowing how frightened Link was, Kaepora changed the topic of the conversation.

"When we reach the castle, I doubt Princess Zelda will be within her dorms. I must ask you, have you made acquaintances with the castle soldiers?"

"I believe so," said Link almost immediately, eyes wandering.

"Then I shall drop you off on the castle's east training field. You will ask for directions of the princess' whereabouts there. Do you understand?"

"All right. I also think I have someone in particular in mind," Link replied faintly.

"Very good. We will be at the castle shortly. Hang on tight until we get there. Now I must warn you; do not speak to _anyone_ about what you have just seen here. However, when you meet with her, it would be wise to Zelda. You may only tell her, no exceptions. Understand?"

"All right," Link replied. A modest grin appeared on Link's face, but he was merely trying to banish the visual images of the black army and Kanakana from his mind, but he didn't seem to be succeeding.

* * *

_General Amentaris rested on the eastern fields of Hyrule Castle. Slightly exhausted, he had found a rather large rock to sit on. He thought it would be better for him if he surveyed his troops from here. Being General was tiresome work; constant running around, barking orders, he rarely even got a bite to eat while on duty. Although the soldiers did more physical labour than he did, Amentaris had about a 20-year age difference from them. There were men by the age of 18 doing running drills in front of him. He could see the drill sergeants shouting orders at the privates from a distance. Just watching them made him feel even more worn out._

_He looked up at the castle to the right of him. He surveyed the massive brick structure gingerly. He saw a dark figure pace across one of the balconies. Its steps were calm and steady._

_Ganondorf, he thought. Amentaris was puzzled about why the King of Thieves was staying at the castle for so long. Normally, when the leaders of new allies came to sign treaties, they would leave the very same day that they came. Ganondorf had been acting really suspicious lately. Amentaris knew that he was up to something, and something was telling him that it wasn't good at all. He shook his head violently and knocked his temple a few times to get those ridiculous thoughts out of his head._

_He delicately sipped his steaming hot cup of coffee he had by his side, and placed it down again. Feeling the caffeine slightly rejuvenate his energy, Amentaris slowly withdrew his twin swords, Lethe. They gleamed brightly in the midday sun, and he watched intently. Lethe was given to him when he was born as a gift, for he was destined to become a great warrior. Lethe was a legendary weapon of sorts, which was rumoured to have some kind of magical power. However, no one really knows its true nature, not even Amentaris himself. It is uncertain whether the swords are good or evil as well, making it a risk to wield them. However, Amentaris' mind was strong, and his soul wouldn't be corrupted by evil blades. He twirled them in his hands a little, and swiftly returned them to their sheaths._

_He took another sip of coffee, and wiped off the excess liquid under his nose with a slow wipe of the back of his fist. His cool, greyish eyes spied on the South-western horizon. A large, bluish-grey cloud was billowing above the landscape. It travelled slowly towards the castle; it looked like it was going to rain tomorrow; it might even be a storm. Still looking at the cloud, Amentaris shifted uneasily on the rock._

"_Odd…" he said to himself under his breath. Hyrule Castle Town and the Royal Plains were known for their constant sunny weather. It was rare for a rain cloud to be even seen in the distance. Something was wrong, he thought. Something was happening, but Amentaris couldn't quite put his finger on it. As he continued to gaze at the cloud, he began to feel some sort of energy, and it was anything but benevolent. Something was coming, towards the castle, and fast. What it was, the general hadn't the slightest idea. He ignored it, and drew the rim of his cup of coffee to his lips once more. His eyes still examined the giant cloud._

_Eyes fixed, he slowly put the cup down, blinked a few times, and then leaned forward slightly, squinting. He saw something moving in the cloud. It was just a speck, and it was coming closer. Could this be what Amentaris had sensed? He watched it intently as it slowly and silently became clearer. He soon realised that it was not in fact part of the cloud, but an entirely different object all together. Amentaris jumped to his feet by instinct. Normally, he would immediately order a small dispatch of soldier for a possible bogey threat, but for some strange reason, this tiny speck didn't feel like a threat. Curious, Amentaris drove his hand into one of the pouches in his belt, and withdrew it, carrying his compact telescope. He extended it to its full length, and held the eyepiece up to his eye. All he could see was a giant blur. He twisted the rim of the other end of the instrument to get it into focus. Now, the image was crystal clear, and he could see exactly what the object was: a mere flying owl. Amentaris couldn't help but feel embarrassed; he got all worked up about a mere bird…wait. He could see the owl was carrying something…or someone._

_Amentaris, still feeling like the flying owl brought no threat to him, took a few steps forward, eager to see what this bird was carrying. His long, dark hair flew back behind him as he did a bit of a jog towards the incoming bird. With a swift glide, it soared directly over his head. Amentaris spun around, to see that the owl was banking to the left, flapping as it went, and making a slow descent. Still carrying what was obvious to him now a person, it slowed down dramatically and dropped its load onto the ground. Seeing that the body was motionless, Amentaris rushed to the scene, almost taking out Lethe in the process. As he dashed over the small hills on Hyrule Castle's eastern field, the owl quickly shot a glance at him, eyes almost aglow. A very intimidating stare indeed, the bird nearly made Amentaris stop in his tracks. Abruptly, the owl took off from the laying figure, and made a sharp ascent into the brightening sky; it might have been startled. Paying no attention to what the bird was doing, let alone what it was planning to do, Amentaris picked up his pace yet again and ran towards the limp, but at the same time breathing figure. As he closed in on the person, swords making clanking noises inside their sheaths, Amentaris tried to get a good look at the individual's face. He stopped inches from the figure, and almost tilted his entire body to get a good look. That's where two bright blue, sparkling eyes met with his, and Amentaris' heart almost stopped._

_It was that boy he taught the other day…Link!_

"_Good afternoon, General," greeted the boy in a blasé sort of way._

"_Oh! Er…" mumbled Amentaris as he scratched his temple, not knowing how to react. "Good afternoon…"_

"_What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," the boy replied with a weak smile. Amentaris shook his head lazily, now realizing his facial expression._

"_Oh, erm, sorry. Um…" Amentaris looked at the sky, seeing if he could spot that owl that carried Link in. He saw nothing, and turned back to a somewhat resting Link. "What brings you back to Hyrule Castle?" he said as if reading from a script. "Come back for some more training?"_

_Link's smile widened. "Hey, yeah! Why not? I'd love to!"_

_Amentaris, a little more composed, outstretched his hand to help the boy up. Link willingly accepted his offer, and Amentaris yanked him to his feet._

"_Ugh…look at you," complained Amentaris as he began brushing off Link's dirty clothes. "You're filthy! What have you been doing?"_

_Link scratched his head, and his face turned a faint magenta._

"_Not going to tell me eh?"_

_Link smiled and shook his head._

"_I respect that."_

"_Tell me if I'm asking this too soon, but…" Link said uneasily. Amentaris crossed his arms and blinked intently. "Do you know where Princess Zelda is?"_

_Amentaris rapped his right fingers on his left bicep and bit his lip. "I'd hate to say it, Link, but I don't think I am able to release that information. Security of the Royal Family is tight this year."_

_Link groaned in frustration. It looked like he was relying on him to tell him where the princess was._

"_You have to tell me! You trust me, don't you?"_

_Amentaris stared at him blankly. "Well…"_

"_Didn't you see me with her almost the entire day a couple days ago? Don't you think Zelda trusts me?"_

_Amentaris calmly closed his eyes. "Please refer to her as Princess Zelda in my presence, thank you." Amentaris did feel a little guilty after saying that, however. He had treated the boy as if he were one of his soldiers. It seemed like Link knew Zelda personally, so it would be natural for the princess to allow him to refer to her in a more casual tone. He let it go anyway. Link still looked to be frustrated._

"_Sorry…" he said through his teeth. "Please, General! Find it within yourself to let me see Princess Zelda!" Amentaris' eyes quivered. "I wish I could tell you why I need to see her, but I promised that I wouldn't. I can't even tell you who I made that promise to! You just have to trust me on this. Please, sir, where is she? I need to talk to her…"_

_Amentaris sighed deeply; the kid cornered him there. He couldn't think of anything to say back to the child without being unreasonable. Link sounded urgent to see her, and knowing of Princess Zelda's recent suspicious operations, there was no telling what may happen if the boy didn't speak to her. The general slowly opened his mouth._

"_Of Princess Zelda's current whereabouts, I am uncertain. What I can tell you is that to my knowledge, she is scheduled for a carriage ride around the castle garden on the North side of the castle within a few minutes. I suggest you head out there now or you will miss the opportunity."_

_Link was so overjoyed by Amentaris giving in to his pleas; he bowed deeply a few times. He then stood up straight and began to jog backwards, heading towards the North._

"_Thank you, sir! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"_

_With that, Link turned around and began to run. Amentaris suddenly jumped._

"_Link! Wait!" The boy stopped in his tracks and turned around abruptly. Amentaris cringed and bit his lips. "Let me come with you. I don't want you to start some kind of commotion with the guards."

* * *

_

With Amentaris jogging not too far behind him, Link cautiously entered the castle garden. He didn't come in through the main entrance, however; he decided to stealthily sneak through the bushes so he wouldn't get caught trying to find Zelda. With his footsteps crunching the many small twigs that lay on the soil, Amentaris crept up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Link…" he groaned. "What are you doing?"

Link turned around to see Amentaris, partly scratched due to some of the thorn bushes they had just passed through. "What?"

"Why are you running through here?"

Link was puzzled. "Uh…because I don't want to get caught by the soldiers…"

Amentaris waved his left hand. "They won't lay a finger on you as long as I'm here. You have nothing to worry about."

Link sighed and nodded bashfully. He was so keen on seeing the princess; he had left behind his own common sense.

Link didn't say anything, but simply shrugged, trying to hide his reddening face. He passed Amentaris, head hidden in shadow, and pushed some of the thick branches and bushes away. He began to hear Amentaris stomping behind him again. In a flash, Link came out of the foliage and could now see the downhill terrain of the castle grounds. He could see massive marching squares encircling the eastern field; it looked like most of the soldiers were practicing their marching drills. The far-off and frequent clanking of armour sounded like a distant drone of raging water. Link averted his eyes, just to see General Amentaris emerge from a bunch of bushes, cursing their thorns. He began to violently throw them off of his arms and chest. Link grinned; he had just remembered that Malon had briefly and indirectly informed him that she had a slight crush on the man. Although the age difference was out of the question, Link thought it would've been a real treat for Malon to meet him in person. Although being a child as well, Link thought of Malon's childhood love as being amusing. He would've loved to see the look on Malon's face if General Amentaris waltzed into Lon Lon Ranch, asking for a tour.

Sweeping off the last clusters of prickles off of his sleeves and flailing cape, Amentaris threw Link an over exaggerated look of frustration. Link laughed out loud at the general's joke. Amentaris nodded his head over to the main entrance to the northern gardens, and Link proceeded past the general towards them. The both of them silently walking, they passed through a somewhat large, wooden archway, naturally wrapped in vines and leaves. It gave the place's atmosphere a little bit of modesty, and it reminded Link of home. Fragrances of many wonderful things became abundant in the air: tulips, pine trees, and freshly fertilized soil. Link stepped a few more feel forward, and let his eyes feast upon the magnificence of the castle garden.

There were mazelike dirt paths cutting and tearing through the giant flowerbeds scattered throughout. There was usually one tree per flowerbed, but each one varied in species and size. The diversity of both the coniferous and deciduous trees truly reminded Link of the Forbidden Forest. Beams of sunlight came through the many gaps between the tree's branches, creating spotlights for the tulips and roses, and violets that surrounded their trunks. A small stream of sparkling, crystal clear water flowed gently to Link's right, and was collected in a little pond, near the castle walls. A large wooden door loomed on Link's right; the entrance to the castle and Zelda's entry point. A heavenly breeze journeyed through Link's golden bangs, and vanished without a trace.

As if it were divine, Link cautiously stepped into the garden, only to feel Amentaris' gloved hand on his shoulder.

"Don't get too hasty, Link," he said almost in a whisper. "It wouldn't be wise to enter the gardens so freely."

"How so?" Link asked calmly as he turned his head. Amentaris smiled.

"It's the law, Link. The law states that no individual shall enter the gardens, under the exception that the person would have a connection with the Royal Family, and that a member of the family is present in the garden upon the individual's entry. Clear as mud?"

Link nodded, but suddenly raised any eyebrow. "Mud? That's not too clear, is it?"

Amentaris crossed his arms and chuckled. "It's just an expression. It's not supposed to make any logical sense. Anyway, we'll wait here until the princess makes her appearance, and that's when we will move into the gardens. Understand?"

"Understood," said Link sternly; he felt that he was in the army, and was respecting Amentaris as his commanding officer. General Amentaris nodded and glanced upon the garden. Link let his eyes wander the lushness of the gardens as well. He listened to the stream gurgle and wash down into the pond. The air around him flowed around him like a liquid, mocking the river that lay in front of him.

He suddenly felt rustling on the top of his head; Navi. It looked like she was beginning to get restless. Link suddenly remembered that General Amentaris, a Hylian, one who shouldn't see any fairy of any sort, was standing right next to him. Link looked at the general, who was now gazing at him curiously with his cool, grey eyes. It looked as if he had noticed something moving in Link's cap.

"What was that?" he whispered.

"What was what?"

"In your cap…something was moving…"

"What? There's nothing in my cap…"

"I could've sworn…"

"I can assure you, General, there is nothing in my cap." Link cringed. _Stupid…stupid…stupid, _he thought to himself.

"Really?" said Amentaris as he outstretched a hand towards Link's cap. "Then let's see..."

Before Link could react, Amentaris pulled off his cap with one swift tug, revealing Navi's light blue luminosity. Caught off guard, Amentaris was drawn aback. Abruptly awoken, Navi staggered off Link's head and was forced to take flight. Link quickly picked up his hat from the ground after Amentaris dropped it, and slapped it onto his head.

"What? What is it?" asked Navi wearily, still waking up.

"A fairy…" Amentaris barely spoke. Link looked up at him.

"What? You know what a fairy is?"

"Link…what's going on?" asked Navi.

"Oh…sorry Navi. General Amentaris kind of broke past your cover."

Navi shook her head, trying to wake up. "General Amentaris? Who's…"

Link pointed towards the man behind him, with his arms crossed, now extremely interested in Navi the fairy.

"General, this is my guardian fairy, Navi. Navi, this is General Amentaris, 6-Star General and Supreme Commander of the Hylian Forces and the Elite Guard."

Amentaris did his traditional slight bowing of the head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Navi."

"Um…hi. Link, where are we? Aren't we supposed to be at the castle? Don't we have to see Princess Zelda?"

"Yes, Navi, we are. These are the castle gardens. Zelda is scheduled to be having a carriage ride around here, and that's where we are going to see her."

"Oh…and, is this…Amentaran going to get us there safely?"

"Amentaris."

"Amentaris…right."

"He's here to protect us from the guards if we look suspicious."

"Ah…" said Navi as she crossed her arms and looked at the general. There was a long pause; no one seemed to have anything to say. They waited for a while, hoping for either someone to say something or for the castle doors to open, revealing Zelda's carriage. Finally, Link tried to start up a conversation.

"So, General, what's new with you?"

Amentaris looked up from the ground. His grey eyes pierced into Link's soul. "What do you mean?"

"Well…anything happening, military wise?"

Amentaris smiled. "It's funny you should ask that. A number of things have been happening." Amentaris rolled his shoulders, and then crossed his arms again, maintaining a powerful pose. "Well, recently we received word that King Dodongo had invaded Death Mountain, and had blocked off the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern. We were about to send out a dispatch over early this morning, but a few Gorons visited the castle, saying that the problem was already dealt with. The funny thing is, King Dodongo was dead before any of his troops fell. Quite unusual behaviour…"

Link smiled, but could also feel his face turn red. He remembered how Kaepora said not to inform anyone except the princess of the upcoming battle for Hyrule Castle, and if he commented on the matter, the conversation would eventually lead him to a point that he would have to say it. He was forced to act surprised.

"Really? That _is_ unusual. Anything else?"

Amentaris sighed, and stroked his goatee with his thumb and index finger, which were wrapped in the jet black leather of his gloves. His eyes narrowed, and he blinked a few times.

"We did…have a spotting of two Moblins on the Royal Plains on horseback, travelling towards the West…" he mumbled darkly. "Such behaviour by creatures such as Moblins is rather atypical. These strange occurrences are nothing I have ever experienced, despite their insignificance." Amentaris glared at Link, at Navi, then back at Link again, with his eyes as narrow as they could go. "…omens, perhaps?"

"Wait…" mumbled Navi. "You don't believe in dark omens, do you?"

Amentaris grinned warmly, shaken out of thinking about dark predicaments. "Well, I can't say I _believe_ in them, but I can say that they resemble things that are omens. They're omens of omens, so to speak."

"You used the word 'omens' a lot in that sentence…"

"Navi!" Link exclaimed, but Amentaris laughed amusedly. For the first time ever, Link saw the general's eyes begin to glitter. Although Amentaris was usually stern and his facial expressions never seemed to change to the point of him barely even blinking, he had a lighter and more casual side as well.

Amentaris gave Link a look with his pale eyes. "Keeping up with your swordplay, Link?"

Link nodded.

"Anything in particular you want to learn for tonight?"

Link let out a slight cough, and thought for a moment or two. "I think I want to learn about outnumbered combat."

Amentaris crossed his arms and shifted into his usual pose. "I see. I do hope that you understand that fighting when outnumbered can get extremely difficult and complex. You need to have good eye coordination, and have to be aware of everything around you: where your enemies are, which ones are attacking and when they will attack, and how they are planning to strike you. Intimidation of the enemy's numbers is a factor that you must overcome as well.

"Now I don't want to get deep into the lesson just yet, but I want you to understand that I can't teach you everything at once. You can learn the basics, but the rest will have to come over time, as with all swordplay. The art of combat comes naturally and by instinct after a period of time. Do you understand, Link?"

Link nodded affirmatively.

"Good. Good…I know you'll do fine." Amentaris grinned once again. "You have promise, Link; I can tell. I shall expect your skills to improve swiftly."

Suddenly, Amentaris gazed upon Link's back, where his sword was sheathed. His icy eyes suddenly widened. "Link, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you have a wooden shield the last time I saw you?"

Link's heart dropped dead. A brief flash of King Dodongo came into his mind, followed by another vision of the shield that Saria had helped buy for him engulfed in flames. He snapped out of it, and forced a smile.

"I happened to misplace it. I'll need a new one." Link's lip curled. "You wouldn't happen to have a spare, would you?"

Amentaris scratched his chin. "I would gladly give you a shield, Link, but unfortunately there are many new recruits for the Elite Guard, and were on a tight budget for equipment. I'm sorry I can't be of help."

Link's grin only grew wider. "That's okay. I'll find one eventually."

"Link! Look!" cried Navi, pointing towards the large door in the garden; it was slowly creaking open. Amentaris turned to watch as well. As if on gears, the doors clicked and groaned as it drew open. Amentaris chuckled.

"I think it's about time our princess showed up. Wait until you can see the carriage, and then we may proceed into the gardens."

Link watched the doors open as if it were a theatrical event. He couldn't wait to see the carriage, or even anything to emerge from the gates.

He could've sworn he saw a holy white glow fly out of the gateway, just before he laid eyes on the carriage that emerged from the doors.

Two beautiful white stallions carried the coach, both trotting at the same speed. The landau itself was magnificent. Like the horses, it was mainly a heavenly white colour. Aligned with pink and gold ribbons, and carved wooden roses, it was if it was made of everything positive in the world. The driver sat on the front, dressed in, of course, white. Link couldn't hold himself back any longer; he had to get inside that coach.

He immediately began to head towards the carriage, and felt Navi slip back into his emerald green hat. The clanking of Amentaris' swords in their scabbards was heard behind him, signalling that he was following. Link stormed through the dirt trails that led to the main path that Zelda's carriage was following, tried to intercept it. He didn't even bother to look if Amentaris was choking on his dust. Rays of sunlight raked past his eyes like flickering lights. The rustling of leaves that were once amplified during Link's conversation with Amentaris had now somewhat fallen silent as Link edged closer and closer towards the large dirt path occupied by the stagecoach.

Abruptly, the carriage stopped, and the driver literally stood up.

"Hey, you! Over there! Kid! What are you doing here! Are you lost or something! You're intruding in the castle gardens! You know the laws! Get out of here before I call the guards!"

Link was about to take a few steps back when he heard Amentaris call out to the driver from behind him.

"It's fine, sir; he's with me!"

The driver jumped slightly when the general came into his line of sight. "General Amentaris! Who is this boy? What does he want?"

Amentaris began to approach the carriage, and Link followed close behind, taking advantage of the opportunity. "He seeks to speak with the princess."

The driver crossed his arms impatiently. "Is this some kind of a joke! I wouldn't let a dog inside of this carriage! What are you trying to prove here, General? That our security needs tightening?"

"Not at all," said Amentaris, still drawing near to the halted carriage. "I have given him permission to speak with Princess Zelda. There is no catch."

The driver rolled his eyes. "Why would a kid like this want to speak to the throne's heir?"

"With all due respect, sir, explanations are none of your concern," said Amentaris, voice rising.

"Maybe _so_," replied the driver. "But the law is the law, General; he has to have a connection with the Royal Family to enter the castle gardens, let alone speak with the family themselves."

"_I'll_ be the judge of that," Amentaris snapped. "If there are repercussions - which I can assure you there will be none – I will hold them on my account, not yours. Understand?"

The driver's nostril's flared. "Fine, but in order for the child to enter this coach, the princess' attendant must approve of the action. Otherwise, no deal." The driver smirked, as if he had won the argument, but was suddenly mortified when a voice came from behind him.

"I give the boy permission, sir."

Link looked to the left side of the coach. It was Impa, Zelda's attendant. The irony of the situation made Link grin.

"What!" shrieked the driver.

"I said I give the boy permission to see the princess. I don't think it would hurt if she met with an old friend." She winked at Link. "Now, if you please, let the boy in."

Utterly defeated, the driver winced. "Fine! The boy may go in!"

Overjoyed, Link turned to Amentaris. "Thank you, General. I don't know how I can repay you!"

Amentaris smiled. "Make sure you get to sleep early tonight. I don't want to be waiting for you."

Link nodded and avert faced to Impa, who was now approaching, supposedly to have a conversation with the general.

"Thank you too, Impa," Link said quickly.

"It was my pleasure, Link. Just think of it as the repayment my debt for grabbing you the other day."

Link smiled, nodded, and without a backward glance, he rushed towards the side of the carriage. The light reflected off of its perfect white exterior. He approached the door, and with much enthusiasm, reached for the knob. Suddenly, fingers inches from the handle, Link stopped, hesitating. Would Zelda be mad at him for not coming the other night like he was supposed to? Kaepora Gaebora had not told him Zelda's reaction the news. Now he was getting nervous.

"Come on, boy. I haven't got all day!"

With those words of encouragement, Link took in a deep breath, exhaled, turned the knob, and swung the door open.

And there she was.

Sitting ever so ladylike in the centre of the bench, it was like Zelda cast a spell on Link. He two elegant blue eyes lit her face in sky-blue. She was smiling.

"Hello, Link," she said soothingly.

* * *

_Where is it! Where is it! she thought to herself. Princess Ruto had lost her precious stone; the one her mother gave to her. She wanted to look at it again, to view its beauty. The Zora princess couldn't imagine what it would be like if she had lost the thing. Now it was lost…lost. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn't remember where she had seen it last. For all she knew, it was at the bottom of Zora's Fountain, buried beneath the fine sands. She shuddered at the thought._

_She flung around some decorative coral and threw giant seashells to the floor, hoping to find her stone's cerulean glow. Unsuccessful, Ruto kicked the ankle deep water she was standing in. Droplets of water rained down from the heavens, as if the roof of her chamber had collapsed and a heavy downpour had started outside. _

_She turned her room upside down, and still no stone. She was cringing so much that her eyes began to hurt. With a growl, she stormed out of her room._

_Splashing through the shallow water, she began to make her way through the long hall towards her father's throne room. Perhaps he had seen it? It wouldn't hurt to ask; King Zora hadn't really been busy lately. Surely he would have time to speak with his own daughter._

_Not even trying to avoid incoming Zoras passing through the hall, she began to speed up into a power walk. Reflections of the rippling water were abundant on the walls, like a maze of light that never ceased to change._

_Now turning the corner and facing the door that led to the throne room, Ruto took a deep breath and proceeded forward. She literally kicked the doors open, and began to climb the steep and dry steps._

_Torches of one of the Zora's sacred treasures: blue fire, were aligned perfectly on either side of the staircase. Blue fire, unlike normal fire, was a much safer tool for lighting. When someone touched it, they were not burned, but instead they felt a soothing, cooling sensation. The Zoras didn't cook their food, so it was ideal for their lifestyle. They were actually fearful of fire and intense heat; if their bodies got too hot, they would find it hard to breathe, and eventually die. The only thing that had distinct warmth within their habitat was the legendary red ice. Like the blue fire, red ice was the exact opposite to regular ice. It was quite warm, and would be considered a comfortable temperature for Hylians. Zoras, however, wouldn't take too kindly to sleep on the stuff, however. They wouldn't die, but they would be rather uncomfortable on such heat, about equivalent to a hot spring._

_Finally reaching the top, Princess Ruto stomped through the short pass that finally led to the throne room's doors. Large, heavy, and bright scarlet, they would intimidate any stranger who happened to wander into Zora's Domain. Her eyes ablaze, Ruto thrust the doors wide open. She calmly walked into the room, but her hands were curled into fists._

_There was her father, King Zora, sitting on the top of the small waterfall that was his throne. His head was lowered, and his eyes were closed. He was snoring._

"_Lazy Father…" Ruto mumbled out loud in frustration. She furiously stomped her foot on the ground. _

"_Hey!" she yelled, trying to wake her father up. He continued to remain motionless. "Hey!" she said even louder, almost shaking the entire room. Still, no response from the Great Zora King. In rage, she found a stone resting underneath the shallow waters. Without hesitation, she snatched it from the water, and hurled it at her mighty father's head. The rock making full contact with his head, King Zora flinched and snapped into consciousness, gasping and grunting._

"_Wha-…wh-…who's that? Wh-what's going on?" he yawned. He looked around the room dazedly, blinking frequently. His eyes soon fell upon his daughter. "Ruto! What is it? Why did you wake me up?"_

_Ruto's eyes narrowed, but she kept her cool. "Father, have you seen my stone?"_

"_Your stone?"_

"_You know, the one I'm always carrying around. The one that mother gave me? That stone!"_

"_Oh oh…" King Zora mumbled, still half asleep. He yawned and stretched his neck. Ruto tapped her foot impatiently._

"_Well?"_

_King Zora glanced over. "Well what?"_

"_Where is it?"_

"_Where's what?"_

"_My stone!"_

"_What stone?"_

_Ruto snarled and kicked the ankle-deep water into her father's face. Fat eddies of water made a fine impact on King Zora's face, who shook them off violently._

"_My stone!" Ruto bellowed. "Zora's Sapphire!"_

"_Oh!" blurted King Zora. "Oh that thing. Oh dear…did you loose it?"_

"_Yes!" Princess Ruto shrieked through her teeth._

"_Hm…" King Zora mumbled deeply. He stroked his chin and squinted, recalling his memory. "I…I do recall…well…hmph. I guess I didn't see it there…Well, I can tell you this." King Zora perked up. "The last time I saw it was yesterday. You were passing by with the bucket of freshly caught fish to feed Lord Jabu Jabu. The stone was in the bucket."_

_Ruto was thrown aback. When she fed Lord Jabu Jabu, she would always just pour the whole bucket in front of him. Could he have swallowed her stone? She couldn't believe it, yet it was the only logical answer so far for her jewel's absence. She would have to go inside of Lord Jabu Jabu, just like when she was a small child. It was the only way to get it back. She would go inside tomorrow, since it took about a month for Jabu Jabu to digest his food. She turned around without a backward glance; she had some preparations to attend to.

* * *

_

"It's great to know you're safe, Link. I'm glad to see you again," Zelda said quietly. She was absolutely elegant.

"It's great to see you too, Zelda," Link replied with a smile.

Zelda and Link were silent for a minute before she said anything. Perhaps both of them were nervous to talk to each other once again. There were two benches opposite of each other in the carriage, Link on one and Zelda on the other. Muffled clicking of horse hooves rang throughout the beautifully decorated walls. There were windows, but Zelda had shut them for privacy. Zelda wore the same dress, but today she wasn't wearing her headdress. Her golden hair gleamed in what little sunlight was seeping in.

"Well, how did it go? I presume King Dodongo is dead?"

Link nodded. "It wasn't easy."

Zelda smiled and blinked a few times. "I would assume so. Are you hurt?"

"I would've been if it wasn't for this…"

Link's hand disappeared into his tunic, and came back with the Goron's Ruby. It illuminated the carriage in a brilliant red glow. Overjoyed, Zelda laughed out loud.

"Well, it looks like you got your prize," she chuckled.

"Its magic allowed me to heal my burns. If it wasn't for its powers, I would've been unable to walk."

"Ah…" Zelda said as she nodded. "I know of its powers. You were lucky King Dodongo didn't swallow you whole, or else not even all three stones combined would've helped you. How did the battle go, anyway?" Zelda leaned back.

"Well," Link began. "It didn't go as smoothly as I planned it to be. He managed to reveal a large pit of lava, making mobility a problem. I took a blast of his fiery breath, and was knocked around a bit without laying a scratch on him."

"Oh dear…" said Zelda, looking distressed.

"He managed to pin me down on the ground eventually. He then spoke to me in unkind words, trying to discourage me even though the battle already seemed to be over."

"Typical of him, yes," Zelda said, nodding.

"But overconfidence was his weak point, I finally figured," Link said, voice brightening. "I managed to shove an ignited bomb down his throat. I think I gave him really bad heartburn when it went off in his stomach."

Zelda laughed. "It's strange how I can so easily picture that."

"Anyway, he fell to the ground, and I managed to thrust my sword into the roof of his mouth, giving him the energy to stumble and fall into the lava pit he created."

"Good for you!" Zelda said brightly. She smiled with the utmost radiance. Yet, suddenly, Link could feel a slight sorrow within Zelda's tone of voice. It was something in her eyes as well, for they glittered more than usual. The next thing Link knew, she was frowning. "What's wrong?" she asked, almost a whisper. "Something's on your mind."

Link flinched and shook his head slightly. "What? Me?"

"Yes."

"Nothing's wrong…" Link slouched uneasily. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Zelda shifted. "I can see it in your eyes; something's troubling you." Her eyes quivered, searching his mind. "Is there something you need to tell me? Something important?"

Link knew what she wanted to hear, and he knew that Kaepora's instructions were to give her the information of the impending siege, but Link couldn't bring himself to say it. The mere thought of it brought chills up his spine. Not only did he fear that the sheer mention of it would drive him into madness, he also was nervous of Zelda's reaction. A violent flash of the marching sea of black came into Link's mind with what sounded like a bellowing thunder clap. He shook it off with immense effort. His heart started pounding, and he began to breathe hard.

"Link…" Zelda said urgently. "Link, what's wrong?"

He held out his hand. "Nothing…I'm all right." He began to massage his temple.

Another thunder-clap-like sound, and a vision of Kanakana throwing back his cape-like trench coat into the howling wind. Link's head began to throb. He was sweating profusely as he tried to fight off these visions. His heard rammed against his chest, trying to get free, unable to sustain such terror.

Zelda had gotten up out of her seat and had put her hands on Link's shoulders.

"Link! Look at me! What's wrong!"

It was no use. Zelda's calls were only drowned out by sounds of marching and war cries. The sound was so immense, Link's brain interpreted it to be real, and he covered his ears in reaction, sweat pouring out in front of his eyes and his heart beating so loud that it struggled to drown out the marching as well. The room seemed to start spinning…spinning out of control. Link's eyes moved this way and that, with the horrible sounds still echoing in his ears. He could still barely hear Zelda's cries… "Link…Link!" And soon, in a climatic moment when all of the things he was hearing hit an unbearable decibel, an explosion shattered the sounds, leaving Link with a clear view of Kanakana's masked face, cackling in insanity.

Link threw himself to the floor, the sounds and visions gone, screaming.

"_They're coming!"_ he howled. _"The army in black is on its way here! They'll be lead by Kanakana! Tomorrow night, all will be lost! Can't you hear it! It's his laughter!"_

Zelda was silent.

"_It's the sound of his cursed, demonic laughter!"_

Link's screams eventually turned to muffled sobs. He couldn't help the tears from pouring out of his eyes. With a little hesitation, Zelda calmly rapped the back of her hand on the wall behind her. A small slot opened, revealing the eyes of the carriage driver.

"Stop here, Cedric," she whispered, not turning around. "We'll walk from here."


	14. The Search for Sapphire

14

_The Search for Sapphire_

_Kanakana stood atop the towering hill the army had encamped beneath. His feet were together, arms were crossed loosely, and his trench coat was blowing gently in the soft breeze that was quietly raking over the fields. The army, codenamed "Dark Wind", had just passed out of the desert realm, and had finally entered the westernmost area of Hyrule field. They were going to sneak through the approximate two mile clearing between the city and the mountain range that encircled Hyrule, marking its boundaries, and then attack the castle's West flank. Although the plan was simple, it was foolproof. The current and previous kings hadn't taken notice of the large weakness in their own backyard. Perhaps of all of the reckless, disorganized attacks on their front door led them to the impression that their enemies would not notice it._

_The Dark Wind had already begun setting up its tents. Since it was only about 2:00 in the afternoon, it was a quick nap and mealtime for most of the soldiers. Kanakana wanted the army to be well rested and nourished, for they would be attacking late tomorrow night. Ganondorf was to be awake at that time, for he would provide extra support for his apprentice; he would destroy all siege weapons that the Hylian army would try to unleash upon Kanakana's offensive._

_Ganondorf would take care of the king, and Kanakana would deal with Amentaris._

_Kanakana sensed something suddenly. It was something extremely small and insignificant, but it was there. He outstretched his hand, palm upwards. A raindrop made contact with his index finger, and spread out quickly into a thin layer of water. Kanakana brought his finger close, and observed the drop spreading over the pitch black leather of his glove. He then rubbed the drop against his index finger and thumb. Once he released it from his grip, it had turned into a solid layer of ice. He snapped his fingers and it shattered._

_He sternly whipped his hands to the back of his waist, sending the back of his trench coat behind him temporarily, making the noise that a flag would make in strong gales._

…_it looked like it was going to rain when they attacked.

* * *

_

"Kanakana…are you sure?"

Link nodded as he cupped some water from the small pond in the garden and splashed it on his face. He let his hands go limp on his knees, and a few drops fell from his fingertips.

"Then it's true…" Zelda whispered. She was sitting down by the pond, close to Link. He sat down beside her, face still dripping. "…but it doesn't make any sense," she complained. "Why him? _How_ him?"

Link looked at her, wet hair drooping in front of his face. The water separated it, transforming it into many wet strands of gold. With one hand, he parted them.

"It doesn't make any sense?" he asked. "How so?"

Zelda glanced at him, eyes alit with a radiant gleam. "I'm assuming Kaepora Gaebora hasn't told you the whole story behind him?"

Link blinked. "Well…I suppose he's told me a little bit about him."

"How much?"

Link scratched his head. "He told me that he was born blind. He went to the Shiekah for guidance, and their master thought him the ways of the Shiekah. He soon learned to see, and betrayed his master once he grew more powerful than him when he became an adult. He fled to the desert and allied with Ganondorf. That's about all I know."

Zelda frowned. "That's it?"

Link's eyes narrowed. "Well…isn't that all there is to know?" Zelda shook her head. "I see…then tell me the whole story."

Zelda leaned back slightly, getting ready for a long story. "Well, basically, what you know so far is true. He is blind, and uses dark magic to see using his mind. Such powers were only known to the Shiekah." Her gaze on Link penetrated his soul. "So, to know the student, you first must get to know the teacher. Do you get what I'm saying?"

Link nodded.

"The Master Shiekah, the one who taught Kanakana everything that he knows, has been erased from history, yet only the Royal Family knows of his story, so listen carefully. The Master Shiekah was the greatest warrior that Hyrule has ever known. He was an expert in both magic and physical combat. He was stronger than any warrior, even if they had hundreds of years of training. The catch was that he never taught anyone. When Kanakana came to the Master Shiekah, he sensed much promise in the boy; more than he had ever seen before. Fearing that the boy's potential may have been put to waste, the Master Shiekah took him in."

Link's jaw quivered. "Are you meaning to say…"

Zelda nodded glumly. "Yes. He surpassed the skills of the greatest living warrior ever known, and slew him."

Link shook his head in disbelief.

"So, naturally, he fled to the desert to avoid the rest of the Shiekah," Zelda continued.

"And that's where he started working for Ganondorf," Link concluded.

Zelda bit her lip.

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

"…that's not exactly true, Link. You see, when Kanakana fled to the desert, he didn't start working for Ganondorf. Ganondorf started working for him."

The very sentence itself was like a white spear of pain through Link's stomach. Was Kanakana stronger than Ganondorf? It didn't make sense to Link.

"That's impossible!" said Link. "He works for Ganondorf!"

Zelda nodded. "Apparently, that is true; thus making it perplexing." She stared at him for a moment before speaking again. "When Kanakana met Ganondorf, he threatened his life, and demanded Ganondorf to take him into hiding. Ganondorf, being young and defenceless at the time, willingly agreed. Thus, Kanakana eventually became his master." Zelda finished her story with a conclusive tone. However, Link wasn't satisfied.

"Well, how come Kanakana's working for Ganondorf now?"

Zelda smiled. "I suppose it is history repeating itself with Kanakana and the Master Shiekah."

Link crossed his arms and his eyes shifted. "So, you're meaning to say that Ganondorf surpassed Kanakana?"

Zelda nodded rather slowly. "It would be the only explanation. However, this would mean that Ganondorf is far more powerful than I expected."

Link stared at Zelda blankly. He didn't notice that water was still trickling off his chin. "You said that it was confusing. What's so hard to understand that Ganondorf is more powerful than Kanakana?"

Zelda tilted her head. "It's not the fact that he is more powerful; it's the question that I'm pondering."

"…and what's that?"

Zelda leaned forward, head now resting on her knees. "How did he become so mighty all of a sudden? To do it so fast…there must have been something behind it…or some_one_." Zelda looked at Link. "What do you think?"

"No idea…" said Link, scratching his leg. "Do you think it's important that we know how he did it?"

Zelda nodded. "If he was able to do it so swiftly, the power that he used may also pose as a threat to us."

"What if he just taught himself?"

"Then it wouldn't have worked so quickly. Personally, I think it was another power that fortified Ganondorf; something not known to the world as we know it."

Link wiped his hand across his face, and shook off the droplets of water that he picked up. "Well, I think it is best not to think about that. We have bigger issues on our hands."

Zelda nodded affirmatively. "True. That is very true. How long did you say until the army would get here?"

"Two days."

Zelda's pupils shrunk to two grains of sand. "That's it?"

Link closed his eyes and nodded glumly.

Zelda leaned back, as if she was about to faint. "Oh dear…not good; not good at all."

"Well, I think I can manage to get the last stone today; we have time," said Link, not actually considering what he was saying.

"No…that's the problem," said Zelda unsteadily. "The Zoras won't let anyone in their home in the afternoon; it's their policy. I can't explain it unfortunately, but what that means is that you can't get the stone until _tomorrow_: the day of the attack!"

Link's chest now felt empty, as if someone had torn out his heart, stomach, and lungs all at the same time.

"No…that…it can't be true! You don't mean to say I only have one day to get the last stone! What will I do? What if that's not enough time!"

Zelda quickly put her hand on Link's shoulder.

"Link! Get a hold of yourself! One day is all you need. If we can't go today, we can use the time to figure out what the plan will be. Do you understand?"

"Yes…" he breathed. "I understand…"

Zelda smiled and withdrew her hand from his shoulder. She reached into a small bag she had brought along from the carriage, laying beside her. Her hand came back into vision, holding her headdress. She slipped it onto her head, and began tucking her hair into it. Her golden locks disappeared into the fabric, like they would never show their true beauty again. She talked as she continued to fold her hair beneath her headdress.

"Well, I guess we can start the planning now. Let's see…Zora's Domain…where was it?"

She finished her task and pounded her fists into the ground, wincing, trying to remember. "It doesn't come to mind…" she groaned. "I know it's to the east somewhere, but I'm not sure…Link, do you know where it is?"

Staring blankly, Link shook his head. Zelda's lip curled.

"Do you know someone who does?"

Surprisingly, it came to Link in a flash. In somewhat of a scramble, he fumbled through the various pockets and pouches in his emerald-green tunic. Finding one containing the object he was looking for, he reached down deep into the pocket, and slowly pulled out his ocarina. Zelda stared at him, confused, but didn't say anything. Thinking of what notes to play, Link tenderly slipped the mouthpiece into his mouth, and began to play Saria's Song. The playful notes of the melody almost played themselves, and the music literally bounce off of the castle's bordering walls. Link's skill with the ocarina had improved so much that he was able to add a delicate vibrato to the music, making it sound professional and crisp. Link could feel waves of energy course through his brain and senses, signalling that he was establishing a connection with Saria. He cut the music short, not wanting to keep Saria waiting, let alone make a fool of himself. Zelda seemed disappointed, however.

Link put his ocarina in his lap, and closed his eyes, waiting to hear Saria's voice. He could feel the quick pulses of energy in his ears, eyes, mouth, and temples. He began to hear a wind-like moan, which slowly collected itself and transformed into a sweet, familiar voice.

"Link? Can you hear me?"

Without any hesitation, Link replied. "Loud and clear."

"Hey there! Is everything alright?"

"Yes," said Link, prying open one eye to look at Zelda, who looked perplexed as to what he was doing. "Everything's alright here. How are things in the forest?"

"Oh, well, the same old. Mido's been bossing everyone around as usual, and everyone knows about the Deku Tree. No one blames you, Link. Everyone's wondered where you've run off to!"

"Really?" Link chuckled. "You haven't told them, have you?"

"No, of course not. So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm sitting next to the beautiful princess of Hyrule right now…" Link opened both his eyes to look at Zelda. She was blushing, and seemed to understand what he was doing.

"Really?" said Saria.

"Link," whispered Zelda.

"Hang on, Saria. Just a second…" Link turned to Zelda. "What is it?"

"Tell Saria to get ready for a visual simulation. Don't worry. She'll know what I mean."

Link's eyes narrowed, he turned back forward, and continued to talk to Saria.

"Saria?"

"Yes, Link?"

"Zelda says to get ready for a visual simulation."

"Oh, alright. I haven't had one of those in a while…"

Link turned back to Zelda. "She okayed it."

Calmly breathing a sigh of relief, Zelda nodded. With a few glances back at Link, she slowly but surely turned towards the pond. She delicately licked the tip of her index finger, and let it hover a few inches above the dead calm surface of the pool. Her eyes calmly raked the icy still waters, as if searching for something, or a sign for that matter. Her eyes narrowed, hinting a breath of frustration. Suddenly, she jerked her finger into the water and withdrew it in a split second, making a small but significant splash, disturbing the water. Zelda neatly folded her hands in her lap, and waited patiently. Link observed the waters closely, but saw nothing too important. The small ripples glided to the edge of the pond, and then rebounded in the other direction, back to the initial point of disturbance. This is what hit Link the hardest; Zelda merely tapped the water, yet these ripples were travelling a great distance for a splash that small, and they just seemed to be getting bigger, bouncing off all of the edges of the pool. Link was too confused to ask Zelda anything, who was still sitting there, waiting for something that Link had no idea how to anticipate. His eyes continued to follow along with the dozens of ripples flowing across the surface of the pond, growing, getting faster, faster. He now came to realise that the whole pond was now covered in waves, and directly in front of him and Zelda, a small section of the water had waves slightly larger than the others. This was exactly the point in which Zelda dipped her finger. Now, all of his focus was situated on this point, for the waves seemed to be growing in this concentrated area, and were rising in such a fashion, that it looked like it was a bulging lump within the waves. This lump continued to rise, and twist and morph in shape. Now, this was starting to look abnormal; this lump was rising prominently, and currently must've been about 4 feet high, and about a foot and a half in diameter. The water overlapped and swelled, more in some areas and less in others, giving it distinct proportions. As the water morphed itself more and more, it began to look like…a person? It grew appendages; arms, legs; and eventually these features of the human body became more detailed; the water grew transparent hands, feet, and a neck to support the already formed head. The figure was about now the same size as Link. The water began to really get into detail, as the figure grew fingers; and clothing was now visible, such as boots, a skirt, and a shirt. The head now had long, pointy, elf-like ears, as all Hyrulians had. Once the head had hair, Link immediately knew who this figure was; it was Saria, simulated in water. Her neatly parted bangs and hair band said it all. Now, it was as if he was looking at the real Saria, if she were to be transparent. Her face was in perfect proportion, complete with a nose, a mouth, and the outline of her eyelashes, showing where here eyes were located. They were closed right now, and Saria was slowly lifting her head. Her perfect hair would shadow her face in real life, but the transparency of the water made it easy to see here beautiful eyelashes. Suddenly, she lifted her head entirely, and her eyes jerked open, revealing both her top and bottom lashes, but there were no pupils within the space that they enclosed. She shook her head a little, trying to snap out of some sort of trance. Soon, Link could just sense it; Saria was looking straight at him. Her watery lips slowly opened.

"Good afternoon, Link," she said sweetly, with a smile.

"Saria…" Link said, shakily. "…can you really see me?" Saria nodded.

"It's as if I'm actually standing in front of you. You look great, Link." Saria glanced over to Zelda. She smiled. "I don't believe we've met."

Zelda nodded. "No, I don't believe we have. I am Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. You are Saria, Link's friend, I presume."

"You presume correctly," said Saria, bowing. "It is an honour to meet you, Princess."

"Link has told me a lot about you," said Zelda as Saria rose. "We could use your understanding of Hyrule, which, by Link's telling, is vast."

Saria blinked. "I'll do what I can…why do you need my knowledge?"

"We're unsure of a destination we are trying to locate," said Zelda calmly.

"And…what is this location?" Saria crossed her arms.

"We wish to know the location of Zora's Domain, or at least how to get there from here."

Saria's expression did not change. "Really…" She turned to Link with her pupil-less eyes. "…and, where exactly are you, again?"

"Hyrule Castle," said Link, almost immediately. "We're in the castle's private garden."

"Hm…" mumbled Saria, closing her watery eyes, trying to recall something. A moment or two passed. She calmly looked up with her liquid eyes. "Link, on your way to the castle, did you notice a small river that passed directly by the city walls, under the drawbridge?"

Link thought for a minute. "Yes, I believe so."

"Follow that river upstream. Zora's Domain is the source of all of Hyrule's water and river systems. If you follow even the smallest creek upstream, it is bound to lead you there."

Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. "That is helpful information, Saria," she exhaled. "Now my memory has somewhat returned to me. Tell us, how much do you know about the area?"

Saria bit her lip. "I've never seen it with my own eyes. I've read about these things, in books, you know."

Zelda frowned. "Please, tell us all you know. We'll need all the information we can get."

"Hm…"

"Zora's Domain…" squeaked a tiny voice from under Link's hat. It was Navi. Link lifted open the front of his cap, and she burst out with a jolt of energy. She fluttered around Saria's watery simulation, and turned to look at Link.

"I've heard about that place."

"You know about Zora's Domain, Navi?" asked Saria.

"Once…"

"Tell us about it," requested Zelda.

With a little hesitation, Navi spoke. "I believe I once heard a story about it. I think I overheard it during the reception after the Deku Tree's funeral. If my memory serves me correctly, I believe the Zoras do not welcome outsiders in the afternoon."

"We already know that much," said Link. "What else do you know? If we were to come in the morning, how would we get in?"

Navi paused for a moment or two. "I'm not sure what was meant by this, but they said that if we were to enter, we would have to prove a connection with the Royal Family."

"Connection?" Link's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure?"

Navi nodded. Link stared at her blankly and turned to Zelda. "Well, I do have a connection with the family, right?"

"Yes, you do."

"So, how could I prove it? How can I prove that I know you personally?"

"A royal decree, perhaps?" Saria suggested. Zelda shook her head.

"Although that would work by Hylian terms, it wouldn't go smoothly with the Zoras. They would want something of a…" Zelda paused, trying to think of a proper word to use. "…something less of a political nature. I think they would want something more cultural, for culture is something that the Zoras treasure and celebrate dearly. If one were to prove a connection with the Royal Family, and at the same time prove a friendship, something more of that category would do nicely."

"That's an interesting theory," complimented Navi.

"Any ideas of what the cultural testimony would be?" asked Saria. There was a long pause. It seemed that even Zelda was having trouble thinking of a cultural connection with the Royal Family. Link was trying to brainstorm the different categories of culture, and only one thing popped into his mind.

"How about a song?" he suggested. He got a lot of blank stares from everyone else. "Isn't there a song of some sort that only the Royal Family knows?"

Saria and Navi continued to stare at him, but Zelda seemed ecstatic.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "That's exactly what it should be! A song! I know the perfect song for you to learn! Why didn't I think of it in the first place?"

There was a pause.

"Well?" asked Link. "What is it?"

Zelda shook her head. "It doesn't matter now; I'll teach it to you later." She turned to Saria. "Now, all we need to know is who has the Spiritual Stone of Water."

Saria scratched her head. "I'm not entirely sure, but if I were to take a guess, I would believe King Zora would have it."

"Are you sure?" asked Link.

"I just said I wasn't," she replied. "If anyone else doesn't know, then, unfortunately, that's all you have and that's what you're going to have to work with."

"You could always at least ask the king, Link," said Zelda. "Being their leader, he should at least know the stone's whereabouts."

"Is he a busy fellow?" asked Navi. "Is he one of those types who always gets preoccupied with other issues and doesn't bother with minor problems of others?"

"Not that I know of," said Zelda. "But if so, then I would suggest talking with someone other than King Zora."

"Like who?" asked Link.

Zelda paused. "I would try to locate his daughter, Ruto. King Zora treasures her more than anything in the world, so if he won't talk about the stone, he will talk about her."

"Does she know anything about the stone?" asked Saria.

"Yes, I believe so. I think the Spiritual Stone of Water is their family heirloom, so I would place my money on one of the members of the Zora Royal Family."

"I see. So is that it?" asked Link.

Zelda nodded. "The only other thing you need to be ready for is the risk of combat. You're still going to need all of your equipment. Like the Gorons, the Zoras may expect great things of you if they feel that they should give you their stone." Zelda turned to Saria. "I'd like to thank you for your time, Saria. Your information has been helpful."

"Hey, no problem," said Saria. "Call me anytime you need help. Link, you take care of yourself, alright?"

"I will. Goodbye," said Link.

With that, Saria's watery figure burst into thousands of regular droplets of water, and made its way back into the pond. The ripples of the pond bounced off the edges some more, and eventually, the waters became dead still once again.

"Well, now that we have all of our arrangements made, why don't we have some fun while we're waiting for tomorrow?" said Zelda cheerfully.

"Fun? Like what?"

As if on cue, a soldier made his way towards the pond. Quite the tall fellow, but a little scrawny as well. His armour clanked with each step he took. He stopped a few feet away from Link and Zelda, and quickly made a salute to the princess.

"Your highness, would it be in your interest to attend the swordsmanship contest today? It starts in half an hour."

"What? It's today?" asked Zelda excitedly.

"Yes, Miss. It has been rescheduled to today. We know you enjoy these contests, but I still require your permission to escort you to the event."

Zelda looked at Link with a smile on her face. "Do you want to go see the match?"

Link shrugged. "Well, I have nothing better to do. Why not?"

Zelda nodded and turned to the soldier, who was waiting patiently. "I'll only go if you can permit my friend here to go as well."

"Would you like him to have a seat next to you, Princess?"

"Yes, please."

"We already have a seat reserved next to yours, Miss. Shall I escort you and your friend to the pit now?"

"Yes, that would be great, thank you."

The guard nodded, and turned in the opposite direction. Zelda began to follow. She turned to Link. "Come on! Follow the guard!"

Link silently began to pursue, and eventually caught up beside Zelda. She leaned over to his ear.

"You're going to love this, I promise," she whispered.

* * *

_Malon sat in her bedroom looking out the window. She had set up a chair, just to stare out onto the horizon. She missed Link already, and it had only been a mere few hours since he left. She sure hoped he was okay. The sun was about to make its way into the west, which was a good thing; Malon liked the evening. It was a peaceful time for her to be alone in the pasture with her thoughts, and Epona, of course. She looked at the flyer that she had picked up from the front door a few hours ago. It was a list of events going on today at Hyrule Castle Town._

_Special Events_

_Saturday, July 10th_

_Brought to you by the H.C.T Bugle_

_Meet the Gonzales Family_

_When: 11:30a.m_

_Where: Outside Theatre 1 in Downtown_

_Come see the fantastic quartet that is the Gonzales family! The outstanding actors and actresses will be signing autographs and taking interviews by the local press. Come to get your autograph before it is too late!_

_Swordsmanship Contest_

_When: 4:00p.m (rescheduled to today)_

_Where: Royal Battle Pit_

_Today's Match: General Amentaris vs. The Blade Guru_

_(Title Match)_

_Witness the heart pounding excitement that is the Swordsmanship Contest! Today, come see Hyrule's Six-Star General and current champion, Pious Amentaris, take on one of the crowd's favourites and incredible swordsman, the mysterious Blade Guru, in a struggle for the Swordsmanship Contest Championship! Don't miss it!_

_Admission: 5 rupees_

_Fireworks Festival_

_When: 10:00p.m_

_Where: Town Square_

_The widely acclaimed monthly Fireworks Festival takes place tonight. Citizens of all ages are invited to attend the spectacular array of dazzling lights. The fireworks can be viewed throughout Hyrule Castle Town, so feel free to watch them from your own residence!_

_Questions? Complaints? Stop by our headquarters._

_23 Royal Street_

_The Swordsmanship Contest caught Malon's eye, most likely either because it had been rescheduled today, since she always attends them, or because General Amentaris was competing. Amentaris was pretty much Malon's hero, and her favourite battler. She had idolised him since she was very young, when she saw her first match. She had always wanted to meet him ever since she saw that triumphant victory in the Royal Battle Pit. Now that he was competing today, and that she was going to miss it, a subconscious feeling rose up in her that she missed her only chance to get to meet him in person. She sighed and put the paper down._

_She hoped Link would go to see it; he would probably enjoy it.

* * *

_

"Here are our seats, Link," said Zelda as they sidestepped their way into the elegant balcony which was reserved for the Royal Family. The golden chairs with the plush, velvet cushions here looked a lot more comfortable than the wooden benches for the citizens of Hyrule Castle Town. Link's chair was elegant, but it wasn't as large as Zelda's, for he, of course, was not of royal blood. They sat down, as the wild cheers from the massive crowd grew louder. Link got comfy in his chair as he surveyed the huge coliseum that they were currently in. The whole thing was underground, which was why Link didn't see it when he came into Hyrule Castle Town for the first time. It was about the size of the village of Kokiri Forest, and just a little taller than the Great Deku Tree! The stands were packed with thousands of people, standing up and cheering. The roof of the building was open, letting sunlight through in order to light up the place. It looked like this event was pretty big, and obviously popular amongst the citizens. Link turned to Zelda.

"Hey, Zelda? What is this, anyway?"

Zelda chuckled. "This is where swordsmanship contests are held. Every two weeks, one is held here. There about twenty battlers in total. What basically happens is they go into the arena in the centre down there…" Zelda pointed towards the floor in the centre of the coliseum. A large circle was painted on the sandy floor, with ropes around to make sure no one leave it, or something like that. "The battlers then have swordfights with fake swords, just to be safe. The first one to score a nice clean hit, which would be considered fatal when using real weapons, is the winner of the game. There are normally five games in a match, but for a title match, which we are about to see here, there are only three."

"Really? That sounds interesting," he said as he gazed in awe at the arena. "What's a title match?"

Zelda laughed. "It's basically a match where the championship is on the line. A challenger faces the current champion, and whoever wins is the new champion."

"So…is that major?" asked Link.

"Yes, very. That's why there are so many people here."

Link was already intrigued by what Zelda had told him. "So…when do we know the match is about to start?"

Zelda pointed to the middle of the arena. "A man is going to step into the ring, and announce what the match will be and who is competing in the one-of-a-kind "sound system" we have here."

Link now noticed the unique sound system in the stadium. He saw that a suspended structure hung just a couple dozen feet from the arena. It was like one giant trumpet, except it had many tubes for the sound to go through, which made their way around the arena. The bells of the giant "trumpet" were aimed at the crowd, and this is where Link supposed the sound came out. The design of it was ingenious, for it looked like this structure could carry the tiniest whisper, and make everyone in the stadium hear it as if it were a large yelp.

Suddenly, Zelda turned to the chair a row up behind her. "Hello, Father."

Link turned around to see that the King of Hyrule had sat down behind Zelda, accompanied by some royal guards. He also saw Impa stride in swiftly and sit on the other side of Zelda. Impa whispered something into Zelda's ear, and she nodded quickly. Link said nothing, and continued to look at the arena, anticipating the man to come out. He leaned over to Zelda. "Zelda…"

"Yes?"

"Do you know who is competing?"

"In this match?"

"Yes."

"Well…" she began. "Our current champion is, in fact, General Amentaris."

"Really?" Link asked.

"Odd, isn't it?"

"Who is he facing then?"

Zelda winced slightly, trying to remember. "I believe…his name is The Blade Guru. He is one of the best in the league, making him a good challenger for Amentaris."

"I don't know…" said Link doubtingly. "Amentaris is quite a phenomenal swordsman."

"Indeed, he is," said Zelda. "That's why he's champion. He could still loose though, The Blade Guru is just as phenomenal as he is."

"Really? What kind of a weapon does he use?"

Zelda leaned back, feeling like an expert on the subject. "He wields a two-handed sword. He treats it like a living thing…which I think improves his skill. He is quite mysterious, The Blade Guru."

"I see…" mumbled Link. He was quite fond of General Amentaris, and he didn't want him to loose his championship. "Does Amentaris still use twin blades?"

"Yes; they are his best weapons. They aren't the legendary blades that he usually uses, though. They are simply replicas made of wood, as with all of the weapons used here."

"Ah…well, good. I'm going to be cheering for him."

"Me too."

Suddenly, the crowd erupted into hollers and cheers, as a black figure stepped into the ring. The match was finally starting! Link noticed that the king and Zelda were applauding, so he joined in. The dark man in the arena issued a hand towards the large sound system above him. A tube began to slide down from the centre of the structure, which was connected to the rest of the tubes. This was probably the piece where one would speak into, seeing as the man grabbed the end of the tube once it was close enough to him. He put his mouth up close to it, and began to read over a piece of paper he had in his hand, as the crowd cheered louder and louder.

"Ladies and gentlemen…" he began. His voice traveled through the sound system, and the man's voice was amplified dramatically, so that everyone could hear him. "The following match will be a title shot at the Swordsmanship Contest Championship! This match will consist of three games. The winner will claim the title!"

The crowd cheered louder and louder.

"And now, introducing the challenger…"

A hush suddenly fell over the crowd, as the room slowly darkened. Link looked overhead, and saw that men were making the opening in the roof smaller with sheets of fabric. This was probably some kind of effect to get the crowd going. Suddenly, on the far end of the stadium, on the floor, a large gate opened and lit up. Mist poured out of the opening, and the crowd soon once again erupted into cheer. Link could hear people chanting, "Guru! Guru! Guru!" The sight of this was creepy, and almost brought chills up Link's spine. This was some odd entrance.

The announcer continued as Link tried to see what was going on at the far gate. "Weighing in at 235 pounds and wielding a double-edged, two-handed sword…The Blade…GURU!"

The crowd cheered and cheered. Soon, amidst the tons of mist that flowed through the gate, Link saw a bone chilling figure approaching. It wore a large, dark cloak with a hood. This, obviously, was The Blade Guru. His head was bowed over, and his arms were covered by his pitch-black cloak. His steps were extremely slow and eerily disturbing. This guy was whacked, but his style what somewhat appealing to Link. The room was extremely dark now, as The Blade Guru slowly and spine-chillingly made his way into the ring. His face was not visible under the darkness that filled his hood. Link could see the way the cloak folded around his arms that he was holding something; probably his sword. Link found this person quite interesting; his sinister style and shadowy appearance made him look intimidating, thus making him fear for Amentaris; he might stare him down. The Blade Guru finally reached the ring, and stepped through the ropes. He took a few steps inward, and paused in the utmost bloodcurdling way. He stood there for what seemed like minutes, as the crowd continued to holler and scream. The room slowly regained light, as The Blade Guru threw back his cloak, and made it into a cape. He wore another black robe underneath with no sleeves, showing off his bulky arm muscles. His wooden sword was clenched in one of his hands, while the tip of it was in the ground for balance. His head was still lowered, keeping his character intact. Link also began to applaud now; he now didn't know which person to cheer for; The Blade Guru's mere entrance had already captured Link into becoming somewhat of a fan. The Blade Guru suddenly drove an inch or two of his wooden sword into the ground, so it stood up on its own. As slowly as he walked, he reached up to the sides of his menacing hood. He gently grabbed the silky fabric, and gradually pulled it back, revealing his face and the rest of his head. He was bald, with a long, thin goatee. His eyes were a shrill white, without pupils. They were outlined in black, making him look somewhat primitive. He then reached for his two-handed sword, yanked it out the ground, and held it up in the air triumphantly with two hands. His cape flowed like a river of darkness with the wind he created with his sudden movements. Link didn't think the crowd could get any louder than it was now. The Blade Guru, the slammed the tip of the wooden sword down into the ground, and folded his hands on the top of the hilt, waiting patiently for his opponent. The announcer finally stepped in once again.

"And now, your current champion…"

Link's assumptions with the crowd's volume were now shattered as it hit a new decibel as the near gate opened.

"Weighing in at 275 pounds, and wielding twin blades, Six Star General of the Hylian Forces, and the Swordsmanship Contest Champion…Pious…AMENTARIS!"

Immediately, Link could see General Amentaris walking into the stadium. The crowd began to cheer his name, as he speedily walked towards the intimidating Blade Guru. He waved at the crowd, and raised his arms triumphantly. His fake weapons were in the same sheaths as his real ones, strapped onto his back in and "X" formation. Moving much more swiftly than the Blade Guru, he was already in the ring, grinning in his opponent's ominous face. The Blade Guru continued to stare back at him, not blinking and holding the same stance. Amentaris turned around and looked at the crowd. He called out something and raised one arm. The crowd cheered in sync. It looked like the fans of this sport wanted to keep their current champion. Amentaris rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, before withdrawing the wooden replicas of his weapon. He immediately turned around to face his opponent, who was still as motionless as a statue. Amentaris then got ready in the battle position that he showed Link the other day. However, The Blade Guru still didn't budge from the stance he was in. Could this be his battle position? If it was, it was quite the unusual one. The announcer eventually stepped back into the middle.

"Now, without further ado…let's get ready to…FIGHT!"

The announcer speedily ran out of the ring to give the battlers their space. The crowd continued to howl as the battle finally went underway. Amentaris cautiously sidestepped around his foe, trying to look for an opportunity to strike. The Blade Guru was still frozen, making Link question whether or not he was alive. Still bearing a grin, Amentaris carefully made his way to the back of his opponent. It didn't look like The Blade Guru noticed his presence at all. Amentaris shook his head at his foes incompetence, got ready, leaped and struck. Link shut his eyes just before the impact, but the huge cheers from the crowd pried them back open. What he saw was amazing; The Blade Guru had blocked Amentaris' attack at lighting speed, and they were holding their fake blades together in a struggle to gain the offensive. Link was astonished at The Blade Guru's speed and preciseness, and by the look of Amentaris' face, it seemed like the feeling as mutual. He eventually took his other sword and applied double force to his enemy's blade, sending him backward slightly. This was Amentaris' chance. He began viciously attacking his opponent with a series of sword swipes, going this way and that in a pattern undistinguishable to the eye. However, flipping his sword in different directions and rarely taking a step backward, Amentaris' opponent intercepted every shot thrown at him. Link couldn't help but applaud at the skill shown here; the fighters' arms were flying around so fast that the fake swords were barely visible. He could only hear the frequent clunks of the wood. Now that Link truly saw Amentaris' swordsmanship in action, he was honoured to have him as a teacher. He attacked and attack with such brute strength, speed, and skill, that it looked like he was slowly getting the advantage; The Blade Guru began to step back a little faster as he desperately tried to keep up his defence. The crowd began to go nuts as Amentaris merely kept on getting better in his patterns. The attacks became more fancy and coordinated, with more speed, accuracy and power than ever before. He hit The Blade Guru's sword with a golf swing with the left-hand sword, then in the brief fraction of a second when his opponent was slightly off guard, he spun around to get maximum power into his right arm and drive it into his adversary's barely raised sword, sending him stumbling back a few steps. The crowd roared as Amentaris took advantage of this opportunity. He sprinted towards his exposed foe, and quickly booted him in the gut, making his enemy drop his sword, hold his stomach in pain and bend over to reduce it. Amentaris then wasted no time slashed the upper part of The Blade Guru's back, sending him down face first into the dirt. The crowd jumped to its feet and erupted into cheer; Amentaris won the first round! Both Link and Zelda were on their feet applauding. Link could barely hear the king behind him. "Good show, General! Bravo!" Amentaris raised his arms in triumph and gave his war cry. Soon, the crowd began to realize that The Blade Guru was not getting up. He had rolled onto his back, but was now motionless. The crowd began to count.

"_One…two…"_

"Zelda, what's going on?" Link asked almost immediately.

"_Three…four…"_

"Amentaris could win this, Link! If a fighter's opponent is down for more than ten counts, he wins the match!"

"_Five…six…"_

"Really? Awesome!"

"_Seven…eight…nine…"_

Link was astonished at what he saw next; The Blade Guru had sat up at lightning speed, just before the final count. His pupil-less eyes were wide open in anger, as his breathing was so intense that it could be seen even where Link was standing. His teeth were bared in rage as he shot a menacing glare at Amentaris, who looked back fearfully. In a slow looming motion, he stood up, and got nose to nose with his opponent, piercing into his soul with his dead like eyes. Amentaris tried to keep a confident face as The Blade Guru ominously stared at him point-blank. Amentaris quickly stepped back to his side of the arena before The Blade Guru could do anything to him. Amentaris' opponent simply grinned and backed up into his own side. It didn't look like Amentaris harmed him at all, and that creepy stare seemed as if it had gotten to Amentaris. The man who had announced the players in once again stepped into the ring, made a signal, and leaped out again.

"Here we go…" said Zelda. "…round two."

Neither Amentaris nor his opponent moved a muscle. The Blade Guru continued to stare at him with the same look he gave him initially. The Blade Guru's smirk showed a sign of true confidence, as if Amentaris was a mere bug to swat. Amentaris continued to stare back at his opponent, and swallowed frequently. They were still as frozen as statues, but the only one who was actually hesitating was Amentaris; The Blade Guru was simply waiting for him, sword at the ready. Amentaris briefly took a step forward, but then quickly backed up into his corner once again. His eyes quivered at the sight of The Blade Guru, who was now even more still than he was. Now, the crowd was beginning to get impatient. Link could hear random comments being thrown out.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Come on Amentaris! Hit him!"

"He's mocking you, man! Go get him!"

Amentaris looked left, then right at all of the screaming fans, then back at his opponent. With an effort, his face changed into that of determination, and he finally walked towards his foe. The crowd now was cheering in a positive manner as Amentaris finally snapped out of the trance that The Blade Guru put him in. He soon began to run and drew his sword back, only to be stopped by The Blade Guru's crushing blade. He hit him straight on the top of the head before Amentaris could even react. It happened so fast, that the crowd only understood what happened when Amentaris stumbled around, holding his head in agony. As he fumbled around the ring, extremely dizzy due to the massive blow that was dealt to his cranium. He soon found the ropes, and slumped on them, still holding his head. He was concentrating too much on the pain that he did not see The Blade Guru approach from behind. Amentaris' foe grabbed him from behind, put him in a headlock, and punched him about five times in the face until he was on the ground. The crowd got to its feet and booed in disgust and outrage. Link was jeering as well; what kind of a warrior performs cheap shots like that? Amentaris rolled over onto his back, revealing his bloodied face. It was completely drenched in blood from a deep cut in his forehead due to The Blade Guru's metal gauntlets piercing his skin. Some of his long, dark hair was wet with blood as well. He was holding his forehead in pain as an official ran into the ring.

"Oh no…" complained Zelda. "That's the official that asks if a fighter wants to give up or not. Come on, Amentaris…don't give in!"

The crowd began to chant as the official offered his hand to Amentaris.

"_Don't give up! Don't give up! Don't give up! Don't give up!"_

As Amentaris was offered the chance to give up…he hesitated for a second, but then shook his head violently, refusing to give up. The crowd erupted once again at Amentaris' courage and tolerance. The official shrugged and left the arena. Amentaris made and effort and grabbed onto the ropes. With the crowd cheering his name over and over again, he slowly hoisted himself up. Staggering, he picked up his swords and faced his opponent once again, who was already standing at his side of the arena. The announcer came in, made the signal for the final match, and left.

"Come on, Amentaris…" mumbled Link. "You can do it…"

To the crowd's surprise, The Blade Guru stuck his sword into the ground so it stood up by itself, and left it there. He slowly made his approach towards Amentaris.

"What is he doing?" Link asked Zelda urgently.

"I…I don't know…"

Sensing that The Blade Guru was up to something, Amentaris swiftly tried to end his opponent's scheme. However, it was no use, just before Amentaris was going to strike, The Blade Guru knocked Amentaris' swords out of his hands, leaving both of them unarmed. The crowd gasped at this odd scenario. Without a moment's hesitation, The Blade Guru grabbed a defenceless Amentaris by the throat, choking him. Amentaris looked like he was in unbearable pain as The Blade Guru's grip tightened.

"Oh no!" cried Zelda. "He's done for!"

Suddenly, Amentaris' eyes opened, and in rage and still in the grip of The Blade Guru, he used on of his free hands to choke his opponent back. Now they were both choking each other, and it was only a matter of time before one of them passed out! By the looks of it, Amentaris would be the one because he had been choked for longer. Link began to loose hope…it was over. However, it looked like Amentaris sensed this as well, and thought quickly. Gathering his strength, he lifted his foe into the air by the throat, forcing The Blade Guru to loose his grip. Flailing wildly, The Blade Guru could not escape Amentaris' manoeuvre. Amentaris then took his opponents body and slammed him into the dirt with the hand he had him gripped by. The crowd screamed and screamed at the sudden turn of events. There was not one person in the entire pit that wasn't out of his or her chair. Amentaris dove for one of his weapons, turned around, sprinted towards his lifeless foe, and struck him square in the forehead. The crowd's screams were ear-splitting. He had won; Amentaris has successfully defended his championship. People did not cease to chant Amentaris' name; not even Link and Zelda. The announcer ran back into the ring, and snatched the pipe now lowered to amplify his voice.

"Here's your winner…and _still _the Swordsmanship Contest Champion…General Pious Amentaris!"

The crowd roared like an ocean in a storm. The announcer then grabbed Amentaris' wrist, and lifted it into the air, making his victory official. Amentaris could not stop smiling as he roared triumphantly. Blood was dripping off his chin and flowing down his hair. He was in so much pain, yet he was so happy at the same time. Link now noticed that The Blade Guru had gotten up, with blood pouring down his face as well. Two escorts came rushing into the arena, and slowly lifted his arms around their shoulders to carry him out of the ring. Amentaris continued to please the crowd with his war cries. Link and Zelda could not stop applauding. The King of Hyrule was laughing joyfully behind them.

After a few moments of victory cries, Amentaris slowly exited the ring, and limped towards the exit, still waving at the crowd. The audience finally settled down, and began leaving through the many doors near the top of the pit.

"Well…" breathed Link. "That was certainly exiting, Zelda. I enjoyed that. Thank you for taking me."

"Hey, no problem," she replied. "It's always great to have you around, Link. It's not like we just have a business relationship."

They both laughed.

"Hey…" Zelda continued. "After we eat dinner, there's supposed to be a fireworks show going on this evening."

"Go on," said Link.

"Well…I was wondering…" she said nervously. She blushed.

"What is it?" Link asked curiously.

"Eh…do you…um…" she looked away slightly.

"Zelda, are you okay?"

"Um…do you want to watch them…with me?" she said as she bit her lip.

"Is that it?" Link laughed. "Of course I will! What's wrong with watching fireworks? Why do you look so nervous?"

"Oh…me? Nervous? Ha! I'm not nervous…am I? Oh, never mind. Thank you, I really appreciate it."

"Hey, we've got to do something to pass the time."

Zelda chuckled. "Yes, I suppose so."

Link's eyes moved left and right beneath the golden strands of his hair. "Oh, and Zelda…" he said a little slowly.

Zelda blushed again. "…what is it?"

Link's lip curled. "What are…fireworks?"

Zelda burst out into hysterics. She laughed so hard that she might've almost fallen back into her chair. "Oh my, I'm sorry. I forgot you're still not accustomed to all of our traditions yet." She wiped a tear off of one of her eyes. "I'll explain them to you on the way back to the castle, okay?" She looked around. "Speaking of which, I think we should actually head back now."

"All right," approved Link. "Let's head back then."

"Okay."

Link and Zelda began to make their way to the right towards the steps. Zelda looked to the row behind them and saw that her father had already left. Once they got to the stairs, Link came up beside Zelda. Suddenly, she looked at him nervously, her sky-blue eyes glittering.

"Um…Link…this might sound weird, but…" She looked away.

"What?"

Her head slowly turned back to him. She bit her lip as he eyes drifted away embarrassedly. "Do you…do you want to hold hands on the way back?"

Confused, Link stared at Zelda in an awkward expression, and then turned to look forward. He thought about it for a second, then shrugged and looked back to Zelda.

"What's the harm?" said Link.

Zelda smiled sweetly, and outstretched her hand, which Link took a hold of. Their fingers interlocked, and they exchanged their warmth with each other. They were now silent as they exited the pit. The funny thing was, Link didn't really feel uncomfortable or awkward while he was holding Zelda's hand. It actually kind of felt…right…

* * *

"_So, what did you talk to him about?" asked Tamil._

"_Oh, it's a long story…I'll tell you some other time."_

_Saria had just got back to her house after a long stay in the Lost Woods. She had just told Tamil about her visual simulation with Link, Princess Zelda and Navi. It had been a long day for her, and she just wanted to stay at home and relax until it was time to go to bed. She was currently untying her boots in order to let her feet cool off. With some difficulty, she managed to yank the second one off her foot, and she lightly tossed it by the front door of her one-room house. She slowly leaned back into her chair and crossed her legs on the wooden stool opposite her. Mido made it for her one year, but it was of poor quality. With a little help from Link, she managed to fix it up nicely. She reached beside her to grab a glass of water at the ready. She delicately sipped the water and put it back down. She exhaled and stroked her smooth thighs. Looking at her thighs oddly reminded her of when Link was still here. They would lye down in the woods at night and look at the stars. Link would always have his head on her thighs, since he liked having his head propped up slightly when he lay down._

"_So," said Tamil. "Do you still like him?"_

"_Like who?" said Saria as she turned to her guardian fairy._

"_Link; do you still like him?"_

_Saria's eyes narrowed. "In what kind of way?"_

_Tamil tilted her head this way and that. "You know…that way…"_

"_Oh." Saria looked away. "Nah, I've gotten over that. He's just my friend, that's all."_

"_No way…" gasped Tamil. "When did this happen? How come I didn't know?"_

_Saria shrugged. "It happened earlier this week. I guess you never asked."_

"_Hmph…"_

_Saria stood up from her chair and looked at Tamil. "Ironically, I think he's interested in Princess Zelda."_

"_Who?"_

"_You know…the Princess of Hyrule? Lives far away from here?"_

"_Oh! I think you told me about her before…really? Her?"_

_Saria nodded wryly._

"_How do you know?" asked Tamil._

_Saria shook her head. "I don't know for sure, but these things I can just sense sometimes. It's like a feeling that comes over you once in a blue moon."_

_Tamil was silent for a few moments, before finally speaking. "You're an odd person, you know that?"_

_Saria laughed. "Yeah, well, everyone's odd in their own special way; that's how I look at it."_

"_I suppose."_

_Saria reached and picked up her glass of water. She paced over to the window. She took a sip and tilted her head._

"_Well…I guess I still kind of like him a little bit," she giggled._

"_You see, that's what I mean. You are an odd person."

* * *

_

"Thanks for coming with me, Link. This is lovely."

"It sure is."

Link and Zelda were sitting on a bench on a small balcony on the castle. From here, the fireworks show could be seen as easily as the rest of Hyrule Castle Town. Link had never seen anything so spectacular before. Large streams of light flew into the air, only burst into huge explosions of brilliant colours. Zelda had explained to him what they were beforehand, but only by witnessing them firsthand did he understand their true beauty. For the summer, the sun set quite quickly. The night made the colours of the fireworks seem much brighter than they would in the daytime, according to Zelda. For some reason, Zelda looked even more beautiful in the moonlight, and especially flattering with all of the bright lights bursting before them. Link couldn't explain it, but Zelda looked better lately, better than when he first met her. He couldn't quite put his finger on it; there was nothing really different about her appearance than when he first saw her…what could it be?

"It's funny, isn't it?" she said, breaking a long silence.

Link turned towards her. "What's funny?"

She smiled. "Look at us. Here we are, enjoying a nice fireworks show, without a care in the world, and we're not even worried."

"Worried about what?" Link asked.

Zelda laughed. "That's exactly what I mean. If you look at it, this is basically our last day of freedom, but yet, it doesn't really bug me as much as it should, you know what I mean?"

"I think so," Link replied. "My heart didn't drop so much when you said that. Maybe it's because we've already worried about it too much?"

"Maybe," she mumbled. "It could be something else, however."

"Like what?"

She smiled, still looking at the fireworks. "Maybe I just feel safe."

"You feel safe?" questioned Link. "Why?"

Zelda looked at him. "I don't know exactly why, but my guess it's because…I'm with you."

"You think?" asked Link, feeling thrilled.

Zelda nodded. "I can't really explain the details of it." She looked onward. "I guess it's like a subconscious feeling I always get when you're with me. It's just with everything that you've done, and you were under no obligation to do it. Tell me, why did you do it?"

Link tried to recall his memory. "Aside from the fact that it was to save the world, and that you asked me to, I cared about my friends, my people, not to mention you."

"Exactly, Link! Exactly!" she exclaimed. "You care about others, not just yourself. I've heard so many tales about legendary heroes. All of them get fame, fortune, and everything a man would want. Basically, it occurred to me that these 'heroes' didn't do it for the people, but for all of the things that they get out of it. These heroes were selfish, and never really amounted to anything. You, on the other hand, risked your life on many occasions in order to save others, not just yourself. If you were with someone and you became threatened, you would sacrifice yourself in order to save that person, right?"

Link nodded. "If they were pure at heart, yes."

Zelda nodded. "That's why I feel so comfortable and safe when you're around. I know you would be there for me if I were in trouble." She inched a little closer to him. "Would you?"

"Of course," Link replied, smiling. "I'd do anything."

Zelda smiled. She stared at him for a while, blinking every so often. Link didn't feel uncomfortable at all with her staring at him. She was perfectly welcome to if she wanted.

"You're unlike anyone I've ever met," she said suddenly. She inched a little closer.

"Really?"

Zelda nodded. "Phenomenal, really. I'm not quite sure what it is about you that makes you unlike the others."

Link shrugged. "Maybe it's because I'm a Kokiri?"

Zelda giggled. "Hm…maybe, but I think it's a little more deep than that." She slid over even closer to Link. They were less than two inches apart. "I think it's something more internal."

"What do you think it is?" asked Link, feeling more comfortable every time Zelda got closer.

Zelda thought for a moment. "My family was always consumed with greed and the thirst for power. They never really had any good traits about them. All they really cared about was money and control over the land. I could never really connect with any of them, especially if I was depressed. They would always ignore me, since they were always busy with new issues, treaties, what have you. I'd always come to think that they never cared about me; they only cared about money and power." Zelda looked depressed now, as she was about to cry.

"Hey, don't get upset, Zelda. At least you _have_ parents. I came from the Great Deku Tree, who's now dead. I never even got to see him until about an hour before his death. How do you think I feel? You should be happy that you have parents, and I'm sure they love you, even if they are obsessed with money and power. They're King and Queen; what can you expect from them? That's their _job_; to keep the money flowing and maintaining order so you don't get hurt. Think of it that way."

Zelda sniffed and looked up, with a soothing smile on her face. "You see? This is what I'm talking about. You're such a sweet, sensitive person, not to mention an insightful one. Every word you've just said was a world of comfort for me. That's why you're such a good person, Link. You deserve to be loved, even if you don't have parents. Love is something you give continuously, but yet you don't have any for yourself that you ought to have more than anyone. You deserve to be loved Link, no matter what."

Zelda now shifted over so that their arms and hips were touching. Zelda's dress was sleeveless today, so Link could feel her soft skin on his arm. It was warm; it was like leaning on a preheated bed with silk sheets. Link began to feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It was a feeling that he had never experienced before, something he didn't feel when he was with Saria; this was something else. He couldn't help it anymore; he had to tell her. It was now or never.

"Zelda…listen…there's something I've been meaning to tell you; something I've been meaning to say for a while now. See…Zelda…I-"

Before Link could continue, Zelda leaned in close to him, her face inches from his, as she put her finger on Link's mouth to hush him. Her beautiful blue eyes gleamed as if they were two priceless diamonds.

"Shhh…you don't need to say anything. I know what you want to say." She smiled affectionately. "Don't worry; I'm pretty sure I feel the same way you do."

She brought her legs up onto the bench, and curled up into a ball somewhat. She was now pretty much leaning her frontal body onto Link as she put her arms near his neck and snuggled her head onto his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, and she looked incredibly happy. Ironically, she was still kind of blushing. Not wanting to look nervous, Link put his arm around her, and stroked her right shoulder with his thumb. This looked like it made Zelda even more affectionate, as she tried to bring herself even closer to him, and made her legs make contact with his. Link never had a girl this close to him before, and he could've sworn it on the Deku Tree's deathbed that it was the most amazing feeling he had ever experienced in his life, because he knew for a fact that it was real, and not something playing with his mind.

They continued to snuggle on the bench, and Link simply closed his mind to the entire outside world, Zelda included. He began to summon his memories of the forest, and what life was like all before this had happened, even though it had only been close to a week. Things had changed, nonetheless, but Link was willing to accept these changes, even though it meant altering his way of life, despite that it had been altered already. He didn't care, anyway. If it was a change he wanted, then he would accept it with a warm welcome.

Zelda modestly giggled as they continued to embrace each other under the altering glow of the fireworks in the background.


	15. The Last Night of Peace

15

_The Last Night of Peace_

_It was dark now; the army was permitted to use the normal Hylian language, since this was the perfect time to talk amongst themselves about tomorrow, and the established code language was still confused amongst the soldiers. He saw no fear in their eyes of his comrades as they ate their meals for the night, quite possibly for their overwhelming confidence. They would continue to march first thing next morning, and they would arrive at Hyrule Castle by dusk. They victory was immanent, of course, but not without a large price on their numbers. The Hylian army was anything but weak, especially on under the watchful eyes of a military strategic master, General Amentaris. No…it wasn't the man he feared, it was his weapons, Lethe. Amentaris did not know the true nature of the swords, but if he managed to learn of their power, it would be devastating for the siege. With the powers of the weapons activated, he could probably kill an Iron Knuckle: their most powerful unit._

_Speaking of which, as he silently patrolled by the set up tents, with the usual Lizalfos and Moblins eating outside of them, having a laugh or two, he came upon the Iron Knuckle Ranks. They didn't eat, for a reason that he could not comprehend, nor care about. They sat outside their tents, either meditating with their massive axes, or talk silently amongst themselves in an ancient tongue that he did not understand. They never took their armour off; it was either somewhat sacred to them, or they didn't want to reveal what they actually looked like under the layers and layers of thick armour, or both. Rather mysterious beings, Iron Knuckles, but he was glad they were on his side; it would've been fatal if they turned against him. There were no new orders from Lord Ganondorf, so the usual regulations still applied to them, which were to respect their wishes, yet demand respect at the same time._

_Up ahead, two dark silhouettes of a Moblin and Lizalfos were fighting. He sighed; he had no time for internal conflict like this. He walked speedily towards the situation before it sparked a riot between the two races. He could hear them cursing at each other as they struggled to obtain something that was in the Moblin's hand. He approached the two, as he noticed that they were attracting attention from the many camps. As he got two the brawl, they noticed his presence and immediately broke it up. They stood up straight and saluted, unable to hide the bruises and cuts on their faces and bodies._

"_What is this outrageousness?" he growled. "I demand to know what this is about! Speak, soldier!"_

"_Lord Kanakana, a thousand apologies, Sir!" said the Lizalfos._

"_He tried to steal my food, Sir. He's a thieving little maggot, that's what he is!"_

"_I don't care about your food, you worm!" hissed Kanakana. "You almost started a riot, and that's the last thing we need when we are so close. I don't want you insects screwing everything up at the last second! Lord Ganondorf would not be pleased to see the army that has taken him four years to assemble fall due to internal conflict!"_

"_Sir, yes Sir!"_

"_My humble apologies, Sir! It will never happen again!"_

"_Good," he hissed. He swiftly pointed a finger at a Dinofos nearby. "You! If these two or any others start something, I want you to let me know immediately, and I'll have their heads on a plate! Do you understand, soldier?"_

"_Yes, Sir!" called the Dinofos from the distance._

_Kanakana put his arms behind his back, and glanced at the two misbehaving soldiers before him. He then turned around and began to pace the ranks once more. However, just before he was out of auditory range, he could hear the Moblin mumbling._

"_Sheesh. He's calling me a maggot? I'll give him a piece of my mind one day, that's for sure. What a maroon, anyway. He thinks he's so great, bossing people around as if he is the king of the world. I only take orders from myself."_

_Without a second of hesitation, Kanakana withdrew on of his elbow blades, turned around and whipped it at his defying underling. Within a second, the toothed blade impaled the Moblin's skull, right in the middle of the forehead. Blood splattered on the tent behind him, as he continued to stand, twitching, gurgling. Kanakana slowly approached him, while everyone around him was literally holding their breath. Kanakana eventually reached the dying Moblin, gripped the blade impaling his head, gave it a cruel twist, and kicked the limp body off of it. The Moblin slumped to the cold, wet ground, dead. Kanakana flicked the dark red Moblin blood off of his specially designed weapon, and withdrew it back into the sleeve of his jet-black trench coat. He ominously looked around at all of the fearful eyes staring back at him. Even some of the Iron Knuckles had turned their heads. No one was saying a word, in the fear of receiving the same fate as the Moblin. Kanakana was extremely dangerous when he was angry and especially hostile after he had taken a life. With a quick jolt, he pointed a finger at the soldiers, and slowly let it scan every one of their heads._

"_Let this be a warning to all of you!" he bellowed. "Fighting amongst yourselves is one thing; defying your master is another!" He pointed his finger in the air. "This is all it takes. One; just one comment, whether it be to my face or under your breath. Make this foolish mistake, and you shall feel the cool freshness of my blade passing through your skull, and suffer the horrors of oblivion!" He glared at his army from beneath his steel mask. "Well? Do you understand?"_

"_Yes, Sir!" said the small portion of the army in unison._

"_Good," he said sturdily. "Rest well, comrades," he spoke as he widened his arms in a somewhat encouraging manner. "We shall strike tomorrow at dusk, and I don't want to see any of you without energy. We need to be swift and precise if we are to be successful in starting the revolution. I bid you good night. We march at 6:00 tomorrow morn."_

"_Yes, Sir!"_

_Kanakana then turned away from the dead body, and continued with his patrols. He would not fail his master; Hyrule Castle would surely fall to their might.

* * *

_

Well, it was a déjà vu once again for Link. He was lying down in Zelda's bed, waiting for Zelda to enter the room in her night gown. It would feel a little different from last time, however. I wouldn't feel as awkward lying down next to her. In fact, Link thought he was actually going to enjoy it. Although some things had fallen out of place as far as their relationship was concerned, but he was positive much better things had come to take their places. He might've snickered as the thought about this. He might actually be able to make this work. Once they dealt with Ganondorf and his minions, they were free to do whatever they wanted with each other. Link could come and live at the castle…as long as the king allowed it. Of course he would allow it; Link would've saved Hyrule by then. Link would go down in history for the act he would perform tomorrow. Although he was excited about the result of his mission, he was still a little nervous, seeing that the past two stones were no picnic to obtain. He hoped that King Zora would willingly hand over the stone, for the fate of the world depended on it, but Link couldn't help but feel an eerie presence on the horizon. Somehow, Link could sense that he would face a great danger, but this one was different; he had a funny feeling that this new foe wasn't a disciple of Ganondorf at all. This was going to be something new, and maybe even unusual. He could only pray that his instincts would save him this time.

He looked over his shoulder to see Navi sleeping in Link's discarded cap. She would surely help him, but these eerie feelings gave Link the urge for more assistance. This, he was not sure he was going to receive. He still felt lucky about getting past Queen Gohma, and extremely fortunate of the defeat of King Dodongo. Yet, he thought he needed more than luck this time. This time, he had no clue what his enemy was. The Deku Tree warned him of a creature inside him, and he let Link inside him because he knew that Link could defeat it. Zelda knew quite a bit about King Dodongo, and the same with Darunia. They sent Link out to defeat him because they knew that he could do it. For the final stone, however, Link had been given no warning of any foe to defeat, so he had no idea what he was up against, lowering his self-confidence.

Well, it didn't matter. Whatever was put in front of him, he would take it head-on. No matter what task was before him in the past, he never backed down. He may have had his moment when all hope had fled him, but he eventually stood up and faced the challenge ahead. This final mission was no exception. He was going to get it over with, and he was going to come out of it with the same sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when he defeated the mightiest of foes. If the claws of Queen Gohma and the fiery breath of King Dodongo weren't enough to stop him, then whatever foe that was on the horizon was about to meet its match. Link was strong, and certainly stronger than he was when he started this adventure.

Back in the day when he lived in the forest, accusations and remarks from Mido would always get to him, but now, if he ever had the chance to go back, verbal abuse from Mido would go in one ear and out the other, because Link had faced worse things than words.

If you look at it, the best cure for fear, or depression, or any other negative human emotion or state of mind, would be the full mightiness of that emotion. If you were afraid of many things, and you saw the most horrible and horrific thing imaginable to man, you would eventually find the things that scared you originally not so scary anymore, since you had seen much worse (if you survived the sight). So, as an end result, the only thing that would strike fear into your heart would be the most horrible thing that the human brain could withstand, therefore eliminating almost all fear from your mind. Of course, the risk of it would be the danger of the sight corrupting your mind, and as an unfortunate result, you would be superstitious, if not fearful of every little thing in the physical and spiritual world.

Link's train of thought was ended once Zelda finally re-entered the room. Like a majestic swan covered in the lightest of silk, she floated in like a spirit from beyond. Link simply grinned as she entered in her gorgeous nightgown. Instead of walking over to her side of the bed, she walked over to Link's side. She glided over right beside him, leaned over and placed her hands on either side of his head. She tenderly kissed him on the forehead, and stroked his bangs gently.

"You don't mind if I leave for a minute? I need to go check something," she whispered into his ear.

"What do you need to check?" Link whispered back playfully.

"That's none of your business, silly," she said as she teasingly shoved Link's right shoulder. She casually walked over to the door that led into Zelda's garden. She opened the door a crack, and then looked back over to Link, her eyes gleaming in the soft moonlight.

"Don't go anywhere; I'll be right back."

With that, she opened the door all the way, stepped through, and was gone, for now.

* * *

_Zelda quietly closed the door behind her, and let her bare feet feel the lushness of the carefully tended grass of her garden. She stepped out into the middle and maybe did a twirl or two. It all happened so fast; just like that, with a few moves and words, she was in love with him. It all started at the Swordsmanship Contest; for some reason, during the moments when Link was really into it, and wasn't looking at her, she would look at him. She didn't know why she did it, but it was hard for her to look away. It was something about him that even she could not quite put her finger on. She had her brain rumouring to herself about certain feelings arising within her, but she ignored it. Eventually at the end of the match, she had to know for sure, so she asked him to hold her hand in order to see if it felt right or not. Then, at the fireworks show, she could sense Link's own feelings, and that only stirred up what was inside her._

_After a few paces around her garden, she looked briskly over to the arched passageway to her private quarters. She could've sworn she saw something go by at the end of the hall. She couldn't quite make out what it was, for the moonlight travelled through the passage in her direction, making everything on the other side a pitch-black silhouette. Still, the brief movement stood out from everything else, making it obvious that it wasn't just a shadow. She turned her full body towards the passage, but still saw nothing. She swallowed as she slowly got the itch to investigate. The air was dead still, and she felt an eerie presence at the end of that passage, but something was telling her to move ahead._

_She breathed in deeply, and took a step forward, paused, and then another. She slowly moved off of the grass, and edged onto the cold stone floor. She cringed as the warmth of her bare feet was sucked away by the ice-cold bricks. She tried to ignore it as she pressed forward. She continued to sneak through the passage, her eyes fixed on the place where she saw movement. She kept on telling herself that it was probably just a guard, but then again, guards seldom come by here, especially at night, when most of them are outside. Her heart began to pound as she came up halfway through the passageway; she was afraid that the figure was going to come back out and startle her. The air became dead, and Zelda could feel a sinister presence at the end of the hall. She bit her lip as she picked up her pace, but still tried to be as silent as possible. Soon, she was walking quickly through the hall as she approached the end. The opening seemed to widen as she cautiously swerved and pressed against the wall. She slid a few inches towards the corner, and, holding her breath, looked around._

_All she saw was the long halls of the castle. Various plants were scattered and a few torches were lit, but there was nothing mobile. She looked the other way, still nothing. She exhaled in relief. However, she could still feel that presence. Her lips curled, and she silently stepped out into the hall. She turned and peered down one way, trying to see if she could spot anything. Yet, still, there was nothing present._

_Before she could turn around, she jumped and froze as she heard a cool, precise, and monstrously deep voice behind her._

"_Ah, what do we have here?"_

_Zelda's jaw quivered as she put in all of her effort to turn around and see who stood behind her. The man was motionless, and his eyes broke through the surrounding darkness, peering into Zelda's soul and infecting it with evil, as Ganondorf always did._

"_You!" she breathed. Ganondorf chuckled._

"_Yes…me…"_

_Zelda's eyes hardened. "What do you want?"_

_Ganondorf pointed at himself. "Me? What do I want? Ha! I was merely pacing the halls, until you showed up, of course."_

_Zelda stood there, frozen, not saying anything._

"_Tell me, Princess, what is a young woman such as yourself doing, wandering around the castle at such a late hour?"_

_Zelda hesitated to speak to the menacing man. "I could ask you the very same question."_

_Ganondorf grinned wickedly, his eyes burning a fiery orange. "You're very cunning, Princess. You are also wise, but too much knowledge can be…shall I say…dangerous." He approached Zelda, who couldn't look away from his massive physique and glowing eyes, which she now realise only really glowed in the darkness. "Don't take me for a fool, Zelda. You know why I'm here, and why I accepted the treaty." Ganondorf sneered. "I believe you also know what is going to happen tomorrow."_

_Zelda gasped and took a step back. "How did you know that?"_

_Ganondorf crossed his arms. "I know many things, girl. I know things that you are still not aware of, but you will know in time. What puzzles me is why you remain here."_

"_What do you mean?" said Zelda, still frozen._

"_You know what is going to happen tomorrow, and you also know the fate of this world. I am confused as to why you insist on staying at this location."_

_Zelda finally smiled. "Because I know that even though you may succeed with your plan, you will not reap the benefits for long."_

_Ganondorf frowned. "I'm listening."_

"_Although you are aware what I know about your main plan, what you don't know is that I am conscious or your second plan; you want to obtain the Triforce, don't you?"_

_Ganondorf grinned and an extremely sinister manner before laughing wildly. "Very good, Princess! Very good indeed! Yet still, how do you expect that to stop me? Let me tell you this, Zelda. You think that mere knowledge will save you? Ha! How naïve. You do not understand the complexity of obtaining the Triforce, do you? Do you actually believe that only the ancient Sages had protected the Triforce? Fool! Did it even cross your mind that the Three Goddesses themselves had protected it? They did not rely on mere half-mortals to defend their relic, for they were wise. Such information cannot be understood by a child, so I will spare you." Ganondorf slowly turned around and began to pace the halls once more. Zelda couldn't stand this anymore._

"_You're a fool, Ganondorf! You don't seem to realise that someone other than you is after the Sacred Triangle! Haven't you begun to understand? First, it was Queen Gohma, whom you used to try and flush out the first Sacred Stone. Second, King Dodongo; the one you had dispatched so try and force the Gorons to hand over the second! It's obvious, Ganondorf. Without those keys, the Door of Time will never open to the likes of you! You've failed!"_

_Ganondorf stopped in his tracks. He turned his head around to Zelda, his immortal eyes ablaze and bearing a more evil grin than ever._

"_What is this nonsense? Foolish child, I already have all three Spiritual Stones." He turned forward and began to walk again. "It is only a matter of time until I can use them…"_

_Before Zelda knew it, he was gone. Yet, before confusion could overtake her, she ran as fast as she could back into her quarters. As she raced down the hall, she thought about Ganondorf's last comment. He already had all three stones? How was this possible? She knew that Link already had two, and that the Zoras would never give up the stone without contacting her or at least her father first. Had he lost his mind? Or…was it a metaphor? Was he trying to say that it was only a matter of time until he had them? Was he planning to steal them from Link? The whole thought of it boggled her. She did not understand fully what he meant, but for some reason, she felt that he knew what he was talking about. Had he come up with a plan to deal with his already collapsing one? She couldn't think of any possible way he could do it…yet he seemed quite sure of himself when he said it. She had to warn Link…maybe he would know something._

_She ran into her garden, and rushed back into her room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

_

"Sorry, I don't know what he means by that," said Link wearily. "Perhaps I may find out?"

"Let's pray that you don't," replied Zelda.

Zelda had just told Link about what she had just encountered. She was sitting on the end of the bed, trying to get her thoughts together. Link was still lying in bed, trying to comprehend Ganondorf's latest words. Nothing really came to him, so he gave up.

"Come on, Zelda," he said. "Maybe if we sleep on it, it could come to us in our dreams."

Zelda sighed, and slowly got up. Suddenly she flinched and turned around.

"Link, I didn't happen to teach you that song I said I was going to teach you, did I?"

Link frowned and shook his head.

"Oh dear, then get out your ocarina, quick like!" She said hastily. "You need your rest as much as you need to know this melody."

Link leaned over the side of the bed and began to rummage through his discarded items and weapons on the floor. He found the ocarina resting beside the small leather pouch in which the Sacred Stones were stored. He pulled it up and leaned back onto the bed.

"Why is this song 'critical'?" Link asked curiously.

Zelda made her way around to her side of the bed, lifted the covers, and slipped under them. "This song will prove your connection with the Royal Family once the time comes," she said as she shuffled around under the sheets, trying to get comfortable. Once she was settled, she leaned in his direction. "It is a lullaby, Link. Do you know what a lullaby is?"

Link nodded. "I have some faint memories of them being sung to me when I was young."

Zelda grinned. "Well, good; that saves me a lot of explaining. This particular song, however, is only known by the members of the Royal Family and its major relations. It was sung to me when I was but a child, and oddly, I have sensed a mysterious power between the notes of the song. I cannot determine the origin of the modest magic, given that the song has been passed down from generation to generation since ancient times."

"It sounds interesting," complimented Link. "I'd like to learn it."

"That's good, because you have to. If not, then I doubt you will be able to enter Zora's domain."

Link slipped the ocarina into his mouth, and Zelda aided his hands over the holes on the top of the instrument. It only took a few minutes for Link to get the feel of the notes. The music was soothing, and ironically, it made Link feel drowsy. No wonder it was sung to Zelda; it could send anyone to sleep in moments. Zelda explained to him that the song was rather long, but it would do fine if he were just to learn the first few bars. Once the lesson was over, Link kept the notes in his mind in an attempt to burn them into his brain, not that it took any trouble at all. He carefully put his ocarina down, and got cosy in Zelda' bed.

"Well…good night, Zelda," Link whispered.

"Good night then," she whispered back.

Link didn't say anything, but simply smiled. He may have shuffled once or twice, but sooner than he knew it, he fell fast asleep. The grey havens of rest soon clouded the behinds of his eyelids, and the physical world around him wavered, and eventually collapsed, casting itself into the void of darkness. Blackness overtook him, as his mind forced him to fall into the infinite void of sleep, perhaps giving him the impression that he would never return. The complexity of things Link saw whenever he went to sleep are too advanced for words to describe, since the looming evil had penetrated his dreams, manipulating and moulding them into twisted nightmares of what he would have had if the evil had not been there.

Suddenly, a white flash, and Link was standing in white. He could see his feet below him, and when he raised his arms in front of his face, they were clearly visible as well. He moved his feet around just to make sure that he was standing on solid ground, and sure enough, he did not fall deeper into the void. He looked around, but the depth and tone of the colour of the place he was in did not make the slightest change visible to the naked eye. Mysterious, yet beautiful, Link felt that he had been here before.

Abruptly behind him, he could hear footsteps; calm, steady footsteps similar to that of a patrolman. They clicked with metal soles of boots, and they seemed to be getting louder…closer…

Link didn't dare move, for he was not sure what awaited him behind his back. He braced himself into readiness, however, to prepare himself for the likely event of a hostile being ambushing him. He was ready to rip out his sword and slash in the direction in which the footsteps were approaching. He could hear them…track their movements with his ears, and not his eyes. He had experience to know that if he turned around to see what was approaching and relied on his eyes to interpret what he saw, he would either misapprehend what he saw and act unwisely or simply be killed. The footsteps drew nearer and nearer, and yet, they didn't seem to be moving stealthily; not at all. Their pace began to drag and slow down as they edged closer towards him, and Link was waiting until the right moment to strike. He knew that this thing was less than three feet away from him, and it was only a matter of moments until he was in striking distance. Now, it was time; the footsteps moved their last distance towards him. However, when Link expected to sense sudden movements of attack, he heard none; the footsteps simply halted, mere inches from Link's unprotected back. A drop of sweat trickled down one of his bangs and dropped onto his cheek, only to continue its journey to his chin. When it dropped and hit the ground, the tiny little tap it made was probably the loudest sound that was heard at that moment over the defying silence.

Suddenly, Link sensed something with natural instinct. A hand was slowly going for his shoulder, for a purpose Link knew not of. He only had one choice: to act now or face the consequences.

In one quick, sharp movement, Link took out his sword, spun around and struck at the large figure behind him. When Link expected to pierce flesh, his blade only met steel. Link looked at the foe he had just failed to defeat, who was looking straight back at him, blank faced.

"Amentaris!" Link exclaimed. The general's sword was much larger than Link's, therefore making his attack and easy block. Link hastily took his sword away from the legendary Lethe. Amentaris stumbled back, brushed himself off, cleared his throat and put his sword away.

"I apologise," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you like that." He crossed his arms. "However, you shouldn't be so hasty to attack, since it might be a friendly, as you've just seen," he added wryly. "A good attack, nonetheless. You almost had me for a second," he laughed.

"I'm sorry," Link apologised. "Things have been unusual lately; I don't use too much common sense these days."

Amentaris laughed to himself. "I see. You'll have to change that swiftly, I'm afraid."

Link nodded. "Oh, I saw your match today."

Amentaris looked pleased. "Did you? What did you think?"

"I thought you were quite valiant. I've never seen someone go through so much pain and yet succeed in the end."

Amentaris exhaled. "I guess my acting skills have improved, then."

Link flinched. "Acting?"

"What?" responded Amentaris. "Don't you know that it's scripted?"

Link shook his head. "I had no idea. So you're saying it wasn't real?"

"Nope," he chuckled. "Wow…really? You thought it was actually real?"

Link nodded. "I was quite convinced."

"I see," muttered Amentaris as he stroked his chin. "The outcome and some major landmarks of the matches are put onto a script, but a lot of the sword fighting is improvised, so don't be too disappointed."

"What about the blood?" Link asked. "How did you fake that?"

"We used something called a blood pack," he answered. "Basically, it is a small bag filled with red-coloured water. It was under my wristband during the match, and when the time came for me to lie face down on the dirt, I sneaked it onto my forehead, creating the effect."

"Well, it looked very realistic," Link complimented. "I can't help but feel sorry for the fans, not knowing that."

"Oh, most of them know it's fake; they just come for the drama," Amentaris laughed.

"Even Zelda?" asked Link.

"I would assume so, yes."

"Hm…"

Amentaris clapped his hands. "Well, anyway…you said earlier that you wished for more training."

Link briefly attempted to recall his memory. "I did?"

Amentaris glanced back at him, confused. "I believe so. I remember I asked you and you politely agreed. It was when I first found you, last afternoon."

Link snapped his fingers. "Ah, yes. Now I remember. I said I wanted to learn to fight against multiple enemies."

Amentaris grinned. "Correct." His expression soon turned to that of concern. "I'm not entirely sure if you are quite prepared for this, Link; I don't think you have sufficient experience with combat to take on multiple enemies."

"But then again," Link contradicted. "You don't know how much experience I really have."

Amentaris nodded compassionately. "I won't question it. If you feel you are physically and mentally prepared, then I won't stop you." Amentaris turned around and began to get some distance from Link, most likely preparing for the challenge he set up for him. Link couldn't help but smile as he immediately recognised the sound of Amentaris' footsteps. Once Amentaris had significant distance, he turned around, hands behind his back, and glared at Link with his hypnotic, grey eyes. "Are you sure you're ready, Link?"

Link nodded affirmatively. "I'm positive."

"Very well," said the general almost immediately. "I'm going to let you set the scenario. First, how many enemies do you wish to face?"

Link stroked his chin, thinking of what amount of foes would be suitable for his skill and experience.

"Let's make it ten," he replied.

"Good!" Amentaris exclaimed, as he lifted his arms, recited a few lines in an ancient tongue, in which Link could not understand, and precisely ten crimson pools of magic appeared in random locations around the arena. It seemed as if he had cast a spell. "Next…" called the general, still trying to keep his concentration on the spell he was casting. "…what type of enemy do you wish to face?"

"Lizalfos!" said Link, as if he were destined to say it. He wanted to fight those foul creatures, whether or not they were real or just figments of his dream. Link got ready, for he was not sure when the battle would actually begin. Amentaris nodded sternly, and opened his arms, chanting the final incantations of the spell. The ten pools of magic simultaneously popped, hissed and cracked, making sparks and smoke. The smoke billowed, making clouds of cerise. They grew thick, while still whizzing, cracking and sparking. Link held his ground, still in cat-like readiness.

Abruptly, he began to see shadows behind the rising red smoke; moving…plotting. Amidst the ten he saw, alternating from each cloud he heard a snarl or a growl. One by one, the columns of smoke thinned, and became transparent. What was revealed was no surprise; angry, vicious Lizalfos replaced the towers of smoke, snarling and hissing, eager to swiftly dispatch our hero. Their hideous tongues drooped out of their open mouths, dripping saliva onto the ground.

"Are you ready, Link?" called the general. "Keep focused on what each enemy is doing, and act wisely; fighting is part mental, you know!"

"I'm ready," replied Link, keen to start the battle. "Send them to me!"

"All right!" yelled Amentaris. "Good luck!"

Amentaris clapped his hands twice, and as if the Lizalfos had been released from chains, they all charged, shrieking and roaring. They all withdrew their jagged blades as they closed in on the lone warrior. Link watched each of them carefully, seeing which one was going to reach him first. His eyes met the one in the center of the pack, who was speeding ahead of all the others. Link decided that he was the first to go down. Once he was in rage, and drawing back his sword to strike, Link burst forward, cast himself to the ground, sliding forward while keeping his sword to the side. As he planned, the Lizalfos ran into it, and lost one of his legs. As Link rolled back upright, and drops of blood hit his back, he tried to drown out the cries of the seriously crippled Lizalfos as he concentrated on the incoming hoard. As they drew near, swords raised high, Link leaped up and tried to get on top of them. His plan failed, however, and he was forced to stab the leader in the chest, barely dodging his vertical swipe. Upon landing on the ground, in the middle of the crowd of enemies, Link quickly rolled under their legs, sprang forward, and spun around to see the enemies who he had gained distance on, which was also astonished at how they failed to kill him, and how one of their men was screaming in pain at his lost limb, and the other lay dead in a pool of his own blood.

"Two down; eight to go…" muttered Link under his breath.

"Keep it up, Link!" called Amentaris from behind. "You're doing great!"

After a series of angry growls and roars, the hoard ran back into Link's direction, but this time they spread out into a line, slowly transforming into a curve; they were trying to surround him. Link had to think, but nothing came to him. He decided to try the same strategy. Once in range, he sprinted forward at his charging enemies, leaped up and attempted to strike the middle one's head. However, with a swift hand, the Lizalfos knocked Link to the ground just before the Kokiri Sword met his skull. Link was cast onto his back, and in terror, he could hear the eight Lizalfos rushing towards him. In a desperate scramble, he got to his feet, but only came face to face with the razor-sharp edge of a Lizalfos' blade. However, it did not make contact with Link's flesh, nor did it, the Lizalfos wielding it, and any of the others move at all. Slowly, each of them evaporated into thousands of crimson sparks, flying upwards. They made no noises; they simply travelled upwards with out making a single sound detectable to the human ear. Sooner than he knew it, his enemies were gone.

Link breathed a sigh of relief, and sat down, dropping his sword beside him. He attempted to catch his breath as he heard Amentaris approach him from behind.

"I'm sorry, Link," he began. "You're dead."

"Yeah, I think I realised that," grumbled Link glumly.

Amentaris came around to his front, and offered him a hand. Link looked up and accepted it. Amentaris brought him to his feet, and steadied him before he fell down. "Don't be so hard on yourself," he encouraged. "I think you did a fantastic job. For a rookie, taking out two of ten warriors before falling is quite impressive. Don't think that you failed."

Link exhaled and smiled.

"Now," continued Amentaris. "Taking on multiple enemies is quite an advanced challenge for a warrior of your experience. In order to do things like this, you simply need to practice more. Do you understand?"

Link nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Amentaris beamed. "There's a good lad. Anyway, it should be time for you to get up. So I'll let you go now. I'm assuming you have things to do?"

"Yes," Link sighed. "Big things."

As Link stared into the rock-hard eyes of Amentaris, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Tomorrow he was going to face the greatest challenge ever put in front of him, and quite possibly, he was going to fall. Link didn't want to think of him dying, and thought that he would be able to escape from the terror. But where would he go? Once Ganondorf came to power, there would be no telling what they would do to him if he were to be captured. Link tried to think of a safe place for him to hide, but none came to mind swiftly. Suddenly, it hit him.

"General Amentaris, Sir?" he asked hesitantly.

"What is it?"

"Do you know of a place called Lon Lon Ranch?"

The general crossed his arms. "Of course; it lies in the center of Hyrule Field, and is the supply of our milk, horses, and other goods. Why do you ask?"

Link bit his lip. "Well…you see…if anything were to happen…"

"What do you mean?" inquired Amentaris.

"Well, if something was to happen here, and you have no place to go, go there. There is a girl there; a friend of mine that goes by the name of Malon. She is a very big fan of yours, and would gladly take you in."

The general's eyes narrowed. "Link…why are you telling me this?"

Link smiled calmly. "You'll know when the time comes, trust me."

The general's eyes quivered, still in the same confusion that he was in when Link first started talking. His lips were curled, trying to make sense out of the information.

"Are you saying something is going to happen?" he pondered.

"No," Link quickly reacted. "In fact, I doubt it. However, Malon is a very close friend of mine, and I think it would be a real treat for you to meet her in person; I'm only using that situation as an example."

Link cringed, expecting Amentaris to call his bluff and suspect something. However, Amentaris slowly nodded, somewhat understanding.

"So, this is just a girl that wishes to meet me? She's just a fan?"

"A disciple, I would say."

Amentaris laughed. "All right; if you really want me to, I'll see what I can do. Is she your age?"

"I believe so," said Link. "But on the other hand, I don't really know my age; we Kokiri don't really keep track."

Amentaris nodded reverently. "That's rather odd, but I respect it all the same. Anyway, Link, it's about time you woke up." Amentaris outstretched his hand. Link took a firm grip of it and they shook.

"You're a good friend, General," complimented Link.

"Right back at you," called Amentaris, waving as grey clouds began to overtake Link. They clouded around his eyes, and he assumed the rest of his body as well. Amentaris faded from view, as with the rest of the room. Link felt his energy being replenished as the clouds swept him off his feet, making him lie down in midair. Link closed his eyes briefly, and when he reopened them, he was back on the right side of Zelda's bed; back in Hyrule.

The silky sheets of the bed were once again on top of them, despite the fact that they always were. Light now touched every corner of the room, illuminating every object in a soft glow. The cool, yet warm air of the morning absorbed everything it touched, softening its texture, so that maybe even a sword would lose its lethality. Link looked over to his left. Zelda was still there, sleeping. She was in the same position she was in when he fell asleep; her head and right hand resting on his chest. Her peaceful face was still there, untouched; untouchable. He ran his fingers through her golden hair, and he flinched slightly when she shifted a little. Still playing with Zelda's hair, Link looked over his other shoulder to spot Navi, still sleeping in his removed cap.

A modest sunbeam shone through the crack in the door which led to the garden. Link wanted to go into the garden and gather his thoughts for a minute, before setting off on the final leg of his journey, of course. He would leave Zelda and Navi here to rest some more, since they may need their own strength as well.

Cautious not to wake her up, Link slowly slid away from Zelda, who in turn rolled over to her other side, setting him free. Link swiftly slithered out of the bed, making as little noise as possible. Barefoot, he slowly crept out of the room, looking back every so often, seeing Zelda look more and more like a goddess under the morning light.

He squeezed out the door, and soaked up the cool warmness of the morning air. His bare feet touching the verdant grass, the feel of it reminded him of home. He yawned, stretched his arms, and let them hang lose by his sides. He looked around the area, with memories flashing back of the day when he first came into this room. He also saw the exact spot where the hidden passageway was located.

Abruptly, a shadow was cast over him, and quickly disappeared. Link looked up just in time to see an owl wing fly out of view. It was Kaepora Gaebora. Without a moment to think, he rushed back through the door. As he entered the room, he quickly rushed over to the bed, purposely kicking his cap to wake Navi up.

"Guhh…whu-?" grunted the shaken sprite.

"I'm sorry, but we have to go…now!" commanded Link. He quickly spun around and put his hands on Zelda's shoulders. He shook her gently, but urgently as well.

"Zelda? Wake up! We have to go!"

In an abrupt wake, Zelda cringed and stretched slightly. She rested her head down for a few moments before opening her soft eyes.

"What time is it?"

"I'm not sure," Link replied. "But I would guess it's around 9:00."

"Oh," she mumbled as she took a deep breath in through her nose, trying to get her body started up. "Then you'd better get going."

Zelda tore off the covers and hopped out of bed. She briskly skipped over towards the door leading to the garden. Before opening the door, she stopped and looked at him.

"Come on," she urged. "Did you see Kaepora Gaebora or something?"

"Yeah, I did. I just saw him soar over the garden. I came back in to wake you up just now."

"All right, we'll wait for him in the garden. Get all of your stuff ready; I'll meet you in the garden."

With a quick glare, Zelda stepped out the door and left it open a small bit to let a ray of morning sunlight shine through, letting Link see what he was doing. He quickly crouched down and sorted trough his belongings, organizing them in the right pockets in his emerald tunic. Navi took off with a short burst of energy as Link yanked his cap from the ground and slapped it onto his head. He found his boots on the opposite corner of the room, and he tugged them back onto his feet, completing the task by fastening the buckles near the top of them. He strapped his sword onto his back, and raced out the door, Navi perusing.

They came out into Zelda's garden, but she was not in the center as Link expected. Instead, she was over in a corner, rummaging through some odds and ends in a secret storage located behind one of the bricks in the wall. It seemed that this castle had many secrets. Link casually approached her, but Navi seemed to stay behind. Zelda turned her head briefly to notice that he was coming, and refocused on the miscellany of random junk that was stored in the small storage space. Link walked up beside her and leaned on the wall informally and crossed his arms. Zelda continued to look through the bits and pieces in the tiny hole.

"What are you looking for?" Link asked curiously.

Zelda briefly glanced at him before returning to what she was doing. "I want you to be prepared for your next challenge, if there is one, Link."

"Go on," Link encouraged.

"I noticed that you lack a shield."

Link's heart dropped slightly. He was hoping since the start that she had not noticed that. He simply fell silent.

"So…" Zelda continued as it appeared as if she had found what she was looking for. She began tugging on it, like it was wedged in the hole. "I thought…I'd give…you…" With a final yank, she ripped the object out of the storage, and stumbled back a few steps when she did so. "…this."

What she held was a rather large, metal shield. The thick border of it was shining steel with several bolts to fix it to the wooden panels on the back, while the majority of the front surface was a bright blue colour. There were a few notable designs on the shield; the Triforce was imprinted on the upper half of its surface, with silver designs on either side, possibly representing clouds; a red falcon: the crest of the Royal Family, and finally a small golden triangle below the falcon, but Link could not quite put his finger on what is symbolized. What bothered him was the rather large size of the shield. Just by looking at it, he could estimate that it was three quarters of his whole body size. This was ridiculous! How was he supposed to use a shield that huge?

"This is a Hylian shield, Link," said Zelda. "It is the standard shield given to all of our soldiers." She approached him, and with some effort, presented Link with her present. He took it courteously. "I know what you're thinking," she said with a smile. "It's a tad big, isn't it?"

Link nodded uneasily.

"I see." She looked at the shield a little glumly. "Well, it's all I can offer you, and I have to offer you something."

Link's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean that you _have_ to give me something?"

Zelda bit her lip. "Um…well…" She stared at the shield solemnly, until looking up with the expression that Link always pictured when he thought about her. It was a look of fear and worry, mixed with sympathy and compassion. It really showed off the sky-blue gleam of her eyes. "I…I need to give you a token of thanks…"

"Thanks?" Link questioned. "Thanks for what?"

"For everything," Zelda blurted out. "You've already done so much, and are about to do even more…and for what? You didn't even have an obligation."

Link shrugged. "Aside from saving the world?"

"Well, yes actually," said Zelda paradoxically. "The way I see it, if one were to be faced with a burden as great as yours, with danger and death lurking around every corner, I think they would rather live life to the fullest instead of going out and getting killed anyway. You, on the other hand, looked past the obstacles and focused on the end result, and I admire that."

"I guess you're right," sighed Link as he looked at Zelda's gift. "But this shield is far too heavy for me to hold with just one arm. How am I supposed to fight?"

Zelda bit her lip woefully. "I didn't really think of that…" Suddenly, her face lit up. "Wait…who says you have to hold it?"

Link raised and eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"

"Just put it onto your back and keep it there. You can use it like some kind of a turtle shell."

Link looked back at the Hylian Shield, contemplating its size and weight. He found a strap on the back of the shield for Link to put it onto his back. He looked back up to Zelda for a moment, until shrugging and gripping the strap. With some effort, he flung the shield over his back, letting the strap fall onto his shoulder. He took the other end of the belt, buckled it and fastened it tight. He rolled his shoulders a little bit and he let the shield fall into a comfortable place. Fortunately, the shield wasn't as heavy as Link expected when it was on his back. In fact, it wasn't even heavy at all. Link took a look at himself with his new shield, and saw that it stuck out on both sides, and a little bit was visible between his legs. He still thought the shield was huge.

"See?" said Zelda brightly. "That's not so bad. If you need to defend yourself, you can duck, or curl into a ball or something."

Link beamed at her. "Thanks, Zelda," as he outstretched his arms and embraced her.

"Alright then," said Zelda as they let go. "I hope it comes in use to you." She looked up at the sky, looking for something. She looked back at Link. "Well, while we're waiting, do you want to hear something?"

"Something about what?"

Zelda shrugged. "Something about Kaepora Gaebora, perhaps?"

Link rolled his shoulders and stretched, still getting used to the weight of his new shield. "Sure."

Zelda grinned and maybe even giggled as she got ready for the story she was about to tell. "Well, sit down then."  
They sat down on the lush grass, just as they did when Zelda was briefing him when they first met. Zelda cleared her throat as Link got comfortable.

"Well, Link, I guess this is the best place to start. Back when Hyrule was still developing, the Ancient Sages basically controlled the land."

"Oh," said Link. "So they were human?"

Zelda nodded. "Quite human, Link, quite human. Now, each Sage had a unique power, even greater than the Sacred Stones in which you hold two."

Link took a quick look at the pouch attached to his belt containing the two Sacred Stones he possessed.

"The Sage of Light could illuminate any area or object with a mere suggestion. The Sage of Fire could create and manipulate flame, and could also control the eruption of volcanoes, such as Death Mountain. The Sage of Water could control the flow of rivers, how much it rained, and how full Lake Hylia to the south was. The Sage of Shadow could control the powers of Darkness, and even raise the dead. The Sage of Spirit could summon gods and spirits from other worlds and use their powers to her own needs."

Intrigued, Link nodded. "Wasn't there another Sage? The Sage of Forest?"

Zelda smiled. "Correct. I want you to listen carefully to my explanation on him, alright? I want to see if you can solve this puzzle."

"Alright."

"Now," Zelda continued. "The Sage of Forest had a very unique power indeed. He controlled all life forms. Plants, animals, even humans. He was even referred to as Farore's successor. Now, here's the catch; one of his other powers was the control of reincarnation, which is when something dies, it is reborn as something else, such as another animal. This power also applied to the death of the Sage himself as well."

Zelda looked at him patiently. Link knew that she expected him to put all the clues together. If this was about Kaepora Gaebora's origin and if the Sage of Forest had the ability to be reborn as an animal…could it be?

"Are…are you meaning to tell me that Kaepora Gaebora was once the Sage of Forest?"

Zelda grinned and nodded. "Bingo. He is the reincarnation of the Ancient Sage of Forest. So if you look at it, he's the only one still alive in a sense."

"Wow…" gasped Link. "I never would've guessed it. How old must he be? How old was he when he died?"

"All the Sages lived to be exactly 200 years old. Kaepora is now blessed with eternal life, meaning that he will never die of old age or disease. He can still be killed though, by a fatal wound or something. There is no guessing how old he is in his second life."

"That's amazing," said Link. "All this time I have been talking to the Ancient Sage of Forest.

"Indeed, you have. The only problem with him now is since he is no longer the Sage of Forest, his powers have faded. So, if he ever dies, it will be the last we see of him."

"Are all set to go, Link?" called a voice from behind. Link turned his head around to see the great owl himself perched on one of the garden's walls, peering over onto him and Zelda.

"Oh, hey Kaepora," said Link as he got up from the ground. "I think I'm all set."

Kaepora eyed him with his large, yellow eyes. "I see you have acquired a new shield. Did you find it on the castle grounds?"

"No," replied Link as he noticed Zelda getting up as well. "It was a gift from Zelda."

"Ah, I see." Kaepora glanced over both of them. "Well, I suggest you hurry. We have little time; the attack should be this afternoon. Say your goodbyes, Link, and we shall be on our way."

Almost immediately, as if expecting this, Link turned to Zelda and took her hands.

"Zelda, I want you to be strong while I'm gone. Be prepared for this afternoon, for everything depends on today."

"Promise me you'll come back soon," Zelda sniffed. "I don't want to be here alone when it happens."

"Don't worry," Link said as he tightened his grip on her hands. "If I'm not here, Impa will protect you. If anything happens, get out of the city. I will find you; I promise."

"You promise?" she whispered.

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Link replied.

They let go of each other, and as if on cue, Kaepora swooped down towards Link. Realizing that they were about to go, Navi the fairy rushed under Link's cap just before Kaepora swept him off his feet. Kaepora ascended at a sharp angle, and just barely got over the opposite wall.

"All be fine, Zelda!" yelled Link as Zelda as he was carried away from her. "You have my word!"

"Good luck, Link!" she called back. "The fate of the world rests on your shoulders!"


	16. The Belly of the Beast

16

_The Belly of the Beast_

_General Amentaris finished pulling on the straps of his uniform and armour as he got ready for his duties. The words Link spoke last night still echoed in his head. A girl named Malon? He never even heard of this child. What was the significance of a girl if he had never even heard of her name before? On top of that, Link said "…if anything happens…" What did he mean by that? What was going to "happen"? Link's voice seemed a little urgent when he spoke of these things. He couldn't help but worry when he thought of Link's words. If it was something he really needed to tell the Six-Star General of Hyrule's military forces and Elite Guard, then it must be serious. It would be best to keep Link's advice in his mind today; it may give him a warning of something...something that he was already unprepared for._

_He turned to the door that led to Hyrule Castle's western grounds. He took in a deep breath, and stepped outside. The soldiers were already patrolling and doing drills. There were no soldiers standing around, with the small exception of high-ranking officers, with observing or running drills. Most of them were moving anyway, since they had patrol duties as well. Amentaris stretched his fingers and began to pace. One of his officers almost immediately approached him as he did so._

"_General Amentaris, Sir!" said the officer as he saluted._

"_At ease, soldier," said Amentaris as he saluted back. "Do you have any reports for me?"_

"_Sir, no Sir!" replied the officer. "Everything is normal according to our intelligence. Excuse me for asking, Sir, but would you like a drink?"_

_Amentaris smiled. "Why not? I have a feeling it's going to be a long day."_

_The officer nodded and took of for Amentaris' drink._

"_I have a feeling it's going to be a very long day…"

* * *

_

"So…you figured it out?"

"Yes, Zelda clued me in on it."

"I see…"

Kaepora and Link were now soaring over Zora's River, a large stream that flowed from the northern border of Hyrule and into Hyrule Field, where it became Hyrule River, which drained in the south. Link couldn't help but stare at the crystal-clear water from above. The rivers and streams he saw in the forest were nothing like this; they were small and calm. This one, however, was much wider, and the waters seemed to be moving a lot quicker. The flow of the water seemed to strong enough to carry Link downstream for miles if he wasn't careful. He figured it would be best to stay away from the waters if he were to be successful on his final mission. As they soared over the river, a mere three feet above the waters, Link began to notice that the river flowed down a modest slope. As they flew forward, the grass on the river's banks began to fade, and it got a little rockier.

"Is it a surprise to you that I turned out to be the reincarnation of the Forest Sage?" asked Kaepora after a brief silence.

"Well…when it was told to me I was a bit surprised, but now it sort of makes sense."

"What do you mean?" Kaepora asked.

"Well," continued Link. "When I first met you, I always wondered how you could talk…"

Kaepora laughed wildly. "I would suppose so. You didn't even mention it! Normally, if I tried to talk to someone, they would simply run away…"

Link couldn't help but chuckle. "I would imagine so. What was it like…when you were a Sage?"  
Kaepora sighed solemnly. It appeared as if he were recalling old memories. "It's best not to say it now…I may tell you later…

"Now, Link, I'm going to have to brief you on your final challenge," said Kaepora in a more serious voice. "Once you are inside Zora's Domain, I will no longer be able to aid you; you are on your own. I will wait outside their gates until you return; I can't afford leaving and missing you in this critical hour. The current time is 11:00, so you have an hour to get in, which is more than enough time to do so."

As Kaepora said these words, Link noticed that the river's incline increased dramatically, and it eventually let to a giant waterfall. Waterfalls were only told to him in stories, and Link always wanted to see one with his very eyes since he was young. This one was unlike he imagined. The white water poured over the large cliff in gushing streams of raw power. It pounded on the pool below, which was the beginning of the river, in a constant rumble of impact. Droplets of water were abundant, moistening everything Link saw, including himself. The waterfall was significant in some way besides its size, however, but Link couldn't figure it out. It was like…it was guarding something.

"This is Zora's Waterfall, Link. It has bewildered men and beast alike, and its meaning has long been a mystery amongst most. I will fly you in; hang on."

Kaepora slowed down, and carefully navigated his way through the billowing mist of water. He soon reached a point rather close to the downpour of water, and hovered there. He had to raise his voice in order for Link to hear him over the roar of the waterfall.

"To a very select few, this waterfall is known as Zora's Gate. As you know, Link, the Zora's will only open their gates to those who have a connection with the Royal Family." Kaepora looked at Link in an odd fashion, as if he were giving him a hint. "So, Link, prove your connection with the Royal Family!"

It hit Link in a flash. In a desperate scramble, he fumbled around for his ocarina. He pulled it out of his pocket. It was still perfectly clean and polished, with no discolouration of its cream surface.

"Are you sure this will work?" Link asked.

"I'm positive. Go on!"

Link looked at the mouthpiece of his instrument, licked his lips, and inserted it into his mouth. He began to play the first few bars of the melody Zelda taught him last night; Zelda's Lullaby. The soothing notes still made him feel like going to sleep, but Link had to fight it off as he continued to play. Kaepora looked onward at the waterfall as Link performed. When Link was done, he quickly put the ocarina in his pocket in a fear that he might drop it. Link looked at the waterfall, just as Kaepora was, expecting something to happen. At first, Link's hopes fled him as he saw that the waterfall was doing absolutely nothing except continuing to fall. However, his eyes widened in wonder as he began to see the water parting in the middle. A gap began to form in the middle of the waterfall, as if it had become opening curtains. The gap slowly got wider, and Link began to think that this was an interesting impression of an opening gate. Once the gap was wide enough, it revealed a somewhat large passageway into the cliff. The water soon stopped parting, and it fully exposed the passageway, awaiting a traveller.

"This is where I leave you, Link," said Kaepora finally. "I suggest looking for King Zora once you are inside. Tell them you are a messenger of the Royal Family if they ask. I will toss you in. Are you ready?"

"Okay," said Link as he prepared himself. Kaepora drew him back, and then in an instant, tossed Link towards the uncovered tunnel. Link fortunately landed inside on his back, did a bit of a barrel roll, and then got up, staggering due to dizziness.

"May the gods be with you, Link!" shouted Kaepora as the water began to cover up the tunnel once more. "I will be here if you need me!"

"I'll be back soon, Kaepora! I promise!" answered Link, but he was afraid his calls were muffled by the waterfall as it completed its shrouding of the secret passage. Immediately lifted his cap off of his head. With a burst of blue energy, Navi fluttered off of his head and slightly lit the tunnel.

"Oh…are we here?" asked Navi.

"I believe so," Link replied. "But I believe we need to go through this tunnel in order to get there. So let's –"

Link was cut short when something brushed past his ankle, which was already submerged in water. He didn't know what it was, or whether it was alive or not. By instinct, he reached in and grabbed the object in a quick reflex. He managed to get a hold of it, and realized that the object was relatively hard and smooth. In fact, it felt like glass. He brought the object up to eye level, and close to Navi's glow. He then saw that it was just an empty bottle. A cork was in the top of it, and that was about it. He felt slightly embarrassed for reacting in such a way to a mere bottle, but before he was about to throw it away, he noticed that there was something inside.

"What's that?" asked Navi.

"It's a bottle," said Link.

"No! Inside the bottle!"

"Oh…" Link mumbled. "I'm not exactly sure…should we take it out?"

"I don't see the harm," Navi sighed.

Link gripped the cork in the top of the bottle, and with a few tugs, yanked it out. He tossed the cork into the water, turned the bottle upside down, and shook it. After a few moments, the object fell out of the bottle, and landed in Link's ready hand. It appeared to be a rolled up piece of parchment. Throwing away the now useless bottle, Link carefully unrolled the piece of paper as Navi landed on his shoulder, lighting the object Link held. They soon discovered that this piece of paper was in fact a note, and it was written in a hurry. It read:

_To Whom It May Concern:_

_If anyone is wondering where I am, I'm currently inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly. Don't even think of looking for me though, or you will suffer the consequences. I will not leave until I find the thing I'm looking for…_

_Princess Ruto_

_P.S - Don't tell my father…_

"Princess Ruto?" questioned Navi. "Isn't that the princess of the Zora's Zelda mentioned?"

"I think so…" replied Link. "Also, who is Lord Jabu-Jabu?"

"I have no clue…" sighed Navi as she fluttered off his shoulder. "I guess we better get some answers. Come on."

Navi began to float down the passage.

"Wait! The letter said we shouldn't look for her!" called Link as he caught up to his guardian fairy. Navi looked back at him with a sly grin.

"Who says we have to do what that girl says? I say we look for her. Who knows? We may get a reward: the Sacred Stone, perhaps?"

Link sighed. "You better be right about this…I'll keep the letter," he grumbled as the two pressed on through the tunnel.

* * *

_It was going to happen today…today was the moment of their final triumph over the Hylians. Kanakana had telepathically talked to Ganondorf last night, and they had rearranged their plans from attacking the castle late at night, to this afternoon. Now, he was getting anxious. All of the planning, all of the preparations, all of the gathering…it all came down to this – this day. Now was the time when he and his army would prove all their worth by crushing the resistance over the horizon._

_He looked over his now ready army. Everything from the camp was packed, and they were ready to march to their final destination: Hyrule Castle. It was time._

"_Yukaklum! Ghomretti dok vicreshonia!" he yelled, telling the army to march to victory. The sea of darkness erupted into cheer and victorious cries. They slowly began to move forward…forward to Hyrule Castle's demise.

* * *

_

"Well…this is an interesting place…" whispered Navi as she and Link entered what appeared to be the heart of Zora's Domain.

It was a large cavern complete with stalagmites and stalactites, with shining water at the bottom, which was almost like a mirror. The place seemed to be formed with years and years of erosion due to the water flowing through this place, making the rocky walls perfectly smooth and flawlessly formed. Reflections of the water's ripples were all over the walls, and the whole cave was lit with an unknown light source. If this place reminded Link of anything, it would be a paradise. Link was standing on a small ledge that seemed to circle the entire the cavern. It was connected to many other tunnels, supposedly leading to other rooms. These tunnels, and this ledge, weren't as perfectly formed as everything else, so Link assumed they were made by the Zoras in order to establish a civilization. However, the only thing troubling him was the desertion of this place. Where were all the Zoras? Despite the confusion, Link cautiously pressed forward.

Suddenly, he took a few steps back as he saw figures emerge out of a tunnel to Link's right. These were undoubtedly the Zoras. If few words could describe them, they were like fish or dolphins in human form. Their "skin" was snow white, with many turquoise spots on their backs. There were large fins protruding from their forearms and hips, and were all quite athletically built. They had tails and flippers coming out of the backs of their heads, which drooped down to the middle of their backs. Their noses were all quite pointy, their mouths small, and their eyes were pitch black with a noticeable gleam. If one were to see them from a great distance, they might mistake them for humans. Although Link expected these creatures to be cheerful folk, they didn't seem too happy. In fact, it looked like they were in despair.

"Oh woeful day!" called out one of them.

"Where has our princess gone off to? Oh dreadful day!"

"She is lost! Oh, our dear Ruto is lost!"

Navi leaned over to Link's ear.

"These folks are weird…"

Link chuckled and nodded, but was soon struck silent when one of the Zoras spotted him.

"Look! An outsider!" it called, and all of the other Zoras seemed to realise Link's presence as well.

"A messenger! A messenger from the Royal Family!"

"What news does he bring us?"

All of the Zoras began to charge for Link and Navi, calling out to them, trying to get their attention. All Link could do was stand there with his arms crossed as he watched the Zoras stampede towards him. Once they got there, they surrounded him and began to ask questions.

"What news from the West?"

"Aren't you young for a messenger?"

"What is that blue thing above your head?"

Trying to stay in character, Link outstretched a hand to silence them. "I wish only to speak with your king. Can you direct me to him?"

There was an excited reaction from the Zoras, as they all seemed to volunteer to take Link to their leader.

"Follow me!" said one of them, finally. They all began to walk down the ledge, Link and Navi taking up the rear. The Zoras noisily talked amongst themselves as they lead the "messenger" down to King Zora's quarters.

"Is this regarding our lost princess?" asked one of them.

"Maybe," replied Link, trying not to give away too much information. The party turned straight back into the tunnel they came out of. Once Link entered, he found the ankle deep water again. He looked at the walls and found decorative coral strewn randomly on their surfaces. The reflections of the water's ripples were still on the walls, making an odd atmosphere to one who had never seen these things before. The Zoras indeed had an odd lifestyle, but it wasn't to far from that of the Gorons'. The Gorons and the Zoras both lived in caverns, but the only thing that separated them from each other is the water in the Zoras' caverns, and the blue fire that Link just noticed. Link had never seen anything more mysterious before. He wasn't sure if this oddly coloured flame on the abundant torches was natural or not. It didn't produce heat either; just a cool breeze. As they continued the somewhat cramped hallway, he noticed that it branched off into other tunnels, with Zoras looking out at him at every intersection. The layout somewhat reminded Link of Hyrule Castle Town; how certain large pathways lead to smaller, more plentiful tunnels. This particular tunnel looked somewhat important, however, as if it lead to some significant area…King Zora, perhaps? The tunnel began to get wider, and the Zoras began to get greater in number. Some even came up behind Link and followed the party, whispering to each other. Whenever Link overheard them, he would usually hear "messenger", "Royal Family", "princess", and "Ruto". There were even some Zoras on overhead balconies, staring over at the outsider who had just entered their domain. Soon, the company walked out the mouth of the tunnel, and into a beautifully decorated room. Torches of blue flame were everywhere, and the Zoras were in the greatest of number here. Some scribes were writing stuff down, while others appeared to be preparing food. However, what caught Link's eye was the giant figure sitting on a marvellously garnished ledge, with water pouring over the top. There was no other explanation; this was King Zora.

He didn't look like the other Zoras. He was about twice as big, and twice as tubby. He didn't have a nose, but had two gills there, creating what looked like a moustache. His eyes were huge, widely spaced apart, and bulged out a little. His arms and legs were extremely small, and were hardly even noticeable. He had a large, scarlet cape with a golden trim, and a portion of it was getting soaked in the running water in which he sat on. His crown was oddly shaped; it was slim, and ran from his forehead to the back of his head, and it had a large, red jewel on the front. The king, like the rest of the Zoras, seemed distressed.

The Zoras guided Link up onto a pedestal before King Zora, and stood him there. Apparently, this is where one would stand if they were to speak to their leader. Not even noticing Link, King Zora spoke.

"Oh, where has my precious daughter gone off to? She was here this morning…where is she now? Oh, unmerciful day!"

A Zora ran across the ledge in which their king sat, and began to tell him something. Once he was finished listening, King Zora finally noticed Link.

"Ah, what's this? A messenger from the West? And what news do you bring me, young representative?" The King's eyes wandered distressfully. "If it is not regarding my missing daughter, then I don't care to hear it," he sobbed.

"Actually," said Link. "This is regarding your daughter, your majesty."

The King flinched. "Impossible! How would a Westerner such as yourself know of the whereabouts of my daughter when she just left this morn?"

"Well," said Link as he reached into his pocket. "I managed to find this within your boundaries, sire." Link pulled out Princess Ruto's note out of his pocket and showed it to King Zora.

"Someone bring that note to me," commanded King Zora. A Zora came up from behind, snatched the paper out of Link's hand, and took off. Within a few moments, it came running along the ledge, and handed it to King Zora, who unrolled it and read it over.

"Hm…yes…hm…" he mumbled as he read on. "I see…" he said as he put the note down. "So, she has gone into Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly? That's ridiculous! Our guardian spirit, Lord Jabu-Jabu, would never eat our dear princess!"

"Well, it would explain Princess Ruto's disappearance," suggested Link.

King Zora sighed solemnly. "Well…then again Jabu-Jabu had been rather green around the gills lately. I would suppose you're right, young one…but what can we do?"

Link shrugged. "I'd be willing to volunteer."

King Zora, with the rest of the other Zoras, burst into hysterics. Link couldn't help but feel humiliated amongst the laughing Zoras. King Zora was holding his sides as he laughed at Link, making his face go red.

"Oh, mercy," said King Zora as he caught his breath. "What's your name, young one?"

Link cleared his throat. "I'm Link of the Forbidden Forest, and this is my guardian fairy, Navi."

King Zora's eyes narrowed. "The Forbidden Forest? So, you're not a messenger of the Royal Family? How did you get in?"

Link panicked; he didn't want them to think that he was an intruder. "I have a personal connection with them, sire. I come here to aid you in any way I can, under one obligation."

King Zora leaned back. "An obligation? And what might that be?"

"I wish to obtain the Sacred Stone of Water, with reasons concerning the entire world."

Although Link expected everyone to laugh again, his hopes were mocked by a dead silence. As he looked around, he found every Zora staring at him, including the king. A tiny whisper was heard occasionally, but that was all. King Zora was staring at him as if he had just said a cuss word. He soon bit his lip.

"If this it what you want," he began. "And if it will bring my daughter back…" He sighed and straightened his posture. "Well…I'll tell you what, young Link; if you can successfully rescue my daughter, as you claim you can, then we will talk about what you seek."

Link bowed his head courteously. "That is perfectly reasonable, your highness. You have my word that I will do my best in finding your daughter."

King Zora smiled. "You are a very well mannered boy, Master Link. I'm sure you will do fine. We haven't come across an outsider like you with such nobility and courage; if you are successful, you will have our full support in your mission, whatever it may be."

"You are very generous, your majesty," complimented Link.

King Zora chuckled. "I feel as if my daughter is already located. Well, Master Link, I wish you luck on your search for my daughter. I'm getting old, and I can't do these things myself anymore. Surely you can do it…surely…" He looked in the rather large tunnel behind him. It was only now Link noticed it was there. "Lord Jabu-Jabu resides beyond this tunnel. How you plan to get inside him, it is up to you." He turned back to Link with a cheerful expression. "I'm sure you will find a way. Now…be off."

One of the Zoras gently grabbed Link by the arm and began escorting him into a tunnel to Link's right. As he was being led, the Zoras surrounding them called out every so often.

"Good luck, young one!"

"Ah, a brave soul, is he not?"

"Come on, boy! Let's see if you can do this!"

The Zora guiding Link did not say a word to him, unlike the others, who were calmly ushering words of good luck to him. Unlike the many other folk that Link had met, the Zora's were significantly quieter; they didn't cheer and holler, but simply spoke softly with words of encouragement. As Link had learned over his adventure so far, there was more to people's uniqueness than looks alone.

Link's escort brought him around the bend in the channel and out onto the ledge where King Zora sat. He still appeared to be looking onward, as if he could not move his neck at all. His eyes were covered in a gleaming film, quite possibly to help him see underwater, not that he really needed to. The Zoras were clapping politely as Link's guide finally let go. He outstretched his arm towards the large passageway out. The current of the shallow water was flowing in Link's direction, only making Link wonder more what was on the other side.

"Beyond this tunnel lies your destination, young Link. It is what is known to the outside world as Zora's Fountain: Lord Jabu-Jabu's grounds. I wish you luck on your search for our dear princess."

He turned around, but before he left, he looked back at Link. "I must warn you, however, or guardian spirit, Lord Jabu-Jabu has been rather ill lately...it would be wise to be cautious around him, for he can be unpredictable when he is not feeling well."

With that, the Zora finally turned around and headed back through the tunnel. Without looking back at the Zoras or their King, who he never really had time to talk to in person, Link turned towards the direction he was just pointed to, took a deep breath, exhaled, and slowly sloshed through the ankle-deep waters.

* * *

"_Full supervision today?" Impa questioned. "This is highly irregular of you, Princess. Are you sure you're all right?"_

"_I think so," Zelda replied. "It's just that I have a funny feeling I need extra protection today."_

"_Should I tell your father?"_

"_No!" Zelda said nervously. "He does not need to know of these things."_

"_Are you positive, Zelda? Your father worries about you, you know."_

"_I know," Zelda sighed. "Trust me on this, okay?"_

_Impa nodded. "I will do my best."_

"_I appreciate it, Impa," thanked Zelda. "It's probably nothing, you know…"_

"_I pray not," added Impa. "I've sensed many ill feelings in the castle today. It appears everyone has been having these feelings, including myself. It's almost like something is going to happen…"_

_Zelda lowered her head and nodded modestly, trying not to give anything away, but she already knew that Impa was catching on to what was going to happen today.

* * *

_

Navi flew close to Link's ear.

"Who's that? A Zora?"

Link shook his head and shrugged. "It looks like it…but isn't he a little small?"

"It could be a child," Navi suggested.

"Most likely…what's he playing with?"

"Let's find out."

Link and Navi cautiously approached a small Zora in the tunnel that led towards Zora's Fountain. He didn't know how he got in here, or whether or not he knew where he was, or even whether or not Zora's fountain was forbidden to the Zoras. It appeared to be throwing around some kind of a stick, but to Link's surprise, every time the Zora threw it, it came right back to him. It must've been enchanted or something, since Link has thrown many sticks in his life, but not one has ever come back to him. The Zora was obviously having a ball with the stick, and who wouldn't be entertained by an enchanted object such as this? He closed in on the child slowly, trying not to startle him. The Zora seemed too sucked into the stick to pay any notice to the advancing strangers. The water still splashed on Link's shins, so he was making a little bit of noise as he snuck up on the child.

Abruptly, the Zora caught the stick once more, and spun around to see the strangers only a few feet from him.

"Oh no!" cried the Zora in horror. "My mom told me not to be close to strangers! Go away!"

Link tried to calm the child down. "Look, kid, I'm not here to hurt you. I just wanted to see–"

In a quick reflex the Zora drew back and threw the enchanted stick at Link, making full contact with his forehead. The impact rendered Link blind for a split-second before falling back into the water. Soaked, Link scrambled to get back onto his knees. He held his forehead in pain, trying to drown out Navi's giggles. The Zora ran past him, and sprinted all the way back into Zora's domain. Link could only guess this by the rushed splashes that he heard run by him since his eyes were closed. He managed to get on his feet, but staggered a little; Navi was still laughing.

"What?" she complained. "It was funny!"

"Yeah…sure was," remarked Link sarcastically. Navi was trying to cover up her giggles with her hand, but they were still seeping through her fingers. As Link shook off the throbbing pain in his forehead, he noticed that the enchanted stick was resting by his foot.

"Hey kid! You forgot your–"

Now realizing that the Zora child was nowhere in sight, he looked back down at the item. He managed to fish it out of the lightly flowing water, and shake off a few drops before looking at it. Almost immediately, he came to the conclusion that this "stick" was not enchanted at all. It was an 'L'-shaped, smooth piece of wood, which was nearly flat, but was rounded at the same time. Two decorative, shining green lines were painted on the middles of each half of the stick, while a gold-encased ruby was set on the joint of the stick. It wasn't a spell that made this object come back when thrown, but the way the stick was shaped and formed.

"Oh…I've heard of these…" mumbled Navi, shining her light on the beautiful ruby.

"What is it?" inquired Link curiously.

"Um…I can't remember what it was called…I think it started with a 'B'…but…" She snapped her fingers. "Ah! A boomerang!"

"A boomerang?" mirrored Link as he looked at the object.

"Yes…many times have us fairies tried to make a replica of this rare object, but all attempts were failure. I've never actually seen one with my own eyes."

"Well…" said Link slyly as he looked over his shoulder, checking for the Zora child one last time. "If the kid doesn't want it anymore, then would you say it's perfectly reasonable to take it?"

Navi looked like she was about to scold at him, but then exhaled hopelessly.

"Well…alright then. I suppose if the kid left it here then he might've just not wanted it."

"Finders keepers, as I always say," said Link as he attached the boomerang to his belt.

"You never say that!" contradicted Navi.

Link chuckled. "Maybe I should?"

Link and Navi silently continued to walk through the tunnel. Neither of them spoke a word, but they may have had different reasons. Link may have been thinking of how he was going to get inside Lord Jabu-Jabu, whatever it was, and Navi was most likely too confused to talk. They came around one last corner, and they finally saw pure sunlight once more. However, it was not the sunlight that initially startled them; it was what was behind it: Lord Jabu-Jabu.

Jabu-Jabu was nothing like what Link expected. He was a giant, whale-like creature, not even anything near a Zora, with a huge, elegant headdress symbolizing importance and maybe even royalty. He was about fifteen feet high, and twenty-five feet long. His skin was wrinkled, grey, and saggy, showing off his ancientness. His giant lips were folded and scrunched up as well. His headdress, which was rather odd to have on a fish-like creature, had a base of gold-coloured fabric, with many excessive details that Link could not make out from the distance he was at. A solid gold plate in front of a carved golden dome made the main part of the headdress, which was beautifully decorated with many blue jewels and carvings. His eyes bulged out and off to the side. They were solid blue, with a solid gleam as well.

Jabu-Jabu, indeed, did not look that well. He had risen up out of the water and was resting his chin on the large platform in which beings that could not swim could observe him from. His eyelids were drooping down lazily, and he was breathing quite heavily. Link could hear his breaths from quite a distance away, making them quite unsettling to listen to. Just looking at this poor creature filled Link with pity and sympathy. However, it also made him nervous about entering him, not knowing what may be inside such a creature when it is sick. Jabu-Jabu's eyes wandered lazily, probably drained due to whatever sickness he was suffering.

Sucking up his courage and taking a gulp or two, Link cautiously…ever so cautiously towards the Zoras' guardian spirit. It didn't even look like Jabu-Jabu was noticing him. As Link approached, Navi following, silent as well, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem…Lord Jabu-Jabu?"

All that came out of Jabu-Jabu was a slow, continuous groan of pain and distress. His eyes looked up sluggishly. Link decided it would be best to just continue.

"I am Link of the Forbidden Forest, and this is my guardian fairy, Navi. We come to retrieve the princess whom you swallowed recently. If you would let us enter you, we would do you task as quickly as possible."

Jabu-Jabu just groaned again. It didn't look like he was going to cooperate. Link shook his head and turned to Navi.

"This is hopeless," he said. "How are we supposed to get inside him if he probably doesn't even understand what I'm saying?"

Before Navi could answer, there was a small splash to the right. A fish had leapt out of the water to try and get over the platform, but jumped much too short and landed in the middle of the stone dock instead. If flopped around powerlessly as it tried to get back in the water. As it seemed Navi was going was going to laugh at the poor fish, something else struck Link's mind.

"Navi…" Link whispered.

"What?"

"You wouldn't think…" Link looked at Navi. "…that Lord Jabu-Jabu is…hungry…do you?"

Now realizing this, Navi stared at Link blankly, and they soon both slowly turned their heads towards Jabu-Jabu. He was eyeing the fish intensely; the most attention he was paying since Link and Navi arrived. His eyes hardened as his mouth began to water.

"Link…" said Navi shakily. "W-what do we do?"

"Just wait…" whispered Link, not really thinking at all.

Jabu-Jabu soon let his appetite overtake him, and opened his mouth wide. Giant streams of water poured off of each tooth as the top row separated from the bottom one, and a giant gust of wind was being sucked into his mouth. The fish went in an instant, but Link hung onto Navi as he tried to keep his feet planted in the ground. Unfortunately, Lord Jabu-Jabu did not stop there; he kept on inhaling harder.

"Navi!" called Link. "Brace yourself! I'm not thinking what I'm doing, but I'm going to do it anyway! Hang on tight!"

Link purposely let his feet off the ground, and the impossibly powerful gusts instantaneously dragged his airborne body into Jabu-Jabu's mouth. Link hit its tongue, and felt the slime of its saliva all over his arm, before being sucked down deeper, eventually tumbling down Jabu-Jabu's throat.

All went dark.

* * *

_General Amentaris quietly sat near the castle as he continued to survey his troops. The western fields were hardly trampled, since it was rare that they even trained here. He quietly took a sip of his drink, swished it around in his mouth, swallowed, and put the drink down beside him. His grey eyes fell to the ground just before him, and Amentaris, sometimes being easily distracted when not amused, leaned over, picked a single blade of the castle's sacred grass, and sat back up with it in hand. He examined it carefully, even though there wasn't much to examine. Amentaris could take the simplest things and transform them into complex things that the average mind would have trouble memorizing. It was some kind of a gift he had since he was a small child._

_Sometimes, bringing back memories of his childhood would seldom but surely bring a tear to his eye. He was never born in a rich family, nor did he take over their business as most people would in his society. Ever since he was around the age of five, he wanted to be a great military leader and maybe even save Hyrule from certain doom. Although he read in the many stories about the legendary leaders that saved Hyrule, none of them really existed, or they did exist but their achievements were merely exaggerated. Amentaris still strived to be a great leader, however, since he had never really achieved anything great ever since he took over. _

_He had evolved the blade of grass into an entire field of grass, but he had yet to plant the trees, bushes and flowers._

_He released his grip on the grass blade, and watched it fall towards the ground. Once it hit the ground, he sighed, and looked back up. He scanned over the hill that bordered the castle borders. He watched the hills as if they were waves in the sea. He never really saw the sea…nor was he sure if it even existed. He saw Lake Hylia, of course, but seas were only legend…_

_Suddenly, something along the hilltops looked out of place. His eyes scanned over it for a second, and it was only a split-second later when he noticed it, and once his eyes went back over to it, he saw something move…crawl back behind them. What was it? He hadn't ordered any of his soldiers to go over the hilltops, nor was he aware of any drills in which the soldier would run up and down them for exercise. What could if have possibly been? Just before he was about to accuse his imagination, he saw another…two…three. Every time he looked over them, they would slink back behind the hill, as if they knew he was looking at them. Amentaris got up out of his seat in a single motion, confused and concerned. He continued to watch the hilltops, but the things did not appear. It was if they had…withdrawn…_

_Amentaris began to get fed up. He looked to his right, and saw one of his officers observing the training soldiers._

"_Soldier! At attention!" barked Amentaris. The soldier scrambled, and stood up straight, hands at his sides and feet together._

"_Sir! What are your orders? Sir!"_

"_Fetch me my two Supreme Officers. Tell them that this is a direct order to them and them only. They must be mounted when they see me. Dismissed!"_

"_Sir! Yes, sir!" said the officer as he turned around and ran in the opposite direction to inform Amentaris' right and left-hand men. Amentaris turned around and walked along the castle walls a little before reaching a stable. Three horses were ready for occupation, and eager to get out of the gate. Amentaris chose the white steed in the middle. He hopped over the gate, mounted, and ordered one of the stable boys to open the gate._

"_Yes, sir!" said the stable boy as he unlocked and steadily opened the wooden gate. Amentaris let his horse slowly walk out of the gate as the stable boy shut the door behind them. Once he was out, Amentaris was greeted by his right and left-hand men, mounted and ready._

"_You called for us, Sir?" greeted the first._

"_Yes," Amentaris replied. "I've just noticed some strange activity on the western hills. We are going to investigate, no questions asked. Understood?"_

"_Yes, Sir!" said both men simultaneously._

"_Alright then," said Amentaris. "Moving out!"_

_The party began to move west, towards the hills. They started off trotting, but then Amentaris encouraged his steed into a steady gallop, the other horses doing the same. They travelled across the western field at a quick, but not too quick pace; they didn't want to alarm any of the soldiers just yet. As they trekked towards their destination, many thoughts went through Amentaris' mind. Not only was he wondering what those things were, he was also wondering if they had any connection with what Link was saying last night. He shook off the thought; he wasn't going to ponder these things just yet. He was going to see what was going on up on the hilltops, and then he will attempt to put the pieces together, if there were any pieces at all, that is._

_They eventually reached the foot of the hills, and with a bit of an effort, they managed to encourage their steeds to go uphill. They horses struggled their way up the steep slopes, sometimes even slipping due to the unusual muddy texture of the hills today._

"_Keep your eyes open," called the general back to his officers. "I want you to immediately report any unusual sightings."_

"_Yes, Sir!" replied the officers._

_Amentaris looked left and right, but did not see anything. Where were these things? He could've sworn that he saw them; they were definitely not his imagination._

_They finally reached the top of the hill. Amentaris first looked right…then left…_

…_then forward._

_Amentaris was almost struck dead at what he saw in the valley below him. It was something even nightmares could not create. This was something greater than a nightmare. Much…much greater. The horror gripped his soul so suddenly and so firmly he thought his heart was about to get ripped out of his chest._

_An unimaginably huge army lay before him. About ten marching squares…a thousand soldiers each. On top of that, a whole other thin row of soldiers. A dark aura emanated from this army…an aura that poisoned everything it touched. The atmosphere began to radiate of rotting death and darkness…fetor and decay. This army, which stained the valley in black shadow, was heading directly for Hyrule Castle. Why would they attack? How did they gather in such great numbers? They were coming from the West…but how? Ganondorf was allied with Hyrule Castle…wouldn't his people detect an army this huge and warn them? Ganondorf was right here…and…_

…_Ganondorf…_

_It was so absurd, and yet so obvious. All this time…ever since the start. Ganondorf never wanted to ally with them…he never even dreamed of such an intention! This was all part of his plan…he wanted their trust, so they would stop sending spies to the west and to avoid detection of this monstrous army. And what sickened him to the very pit of his stomach was the fact that they walked right into his trap…like water going over a waterfall. _

_This couldn't be happening…he never wanted it to happen. But it was happening…this army moved…it sang with such a tone of evil, making Amentaris experience fear he had never felt before. There was no way they could withstand…it was impossible. The army was too big; maybe five times as big as theirs. He couldn't go on…it was all over; everything he worked for…strived for…dreamed of; ended in one crushing blow that was under his nose the entire time. He began to get weak, the fear overtaking him._

_One of his officers managed to blurt out something._

"_Ss…S-Sir…" he began. "Wh…what are your orders?"_

_Amentaris simply looked at the ground, breathing intensely._

"_Sir…" said the second officer. "You have to make an order."_

_Amentaris continued staring at the ground, not bearing to look forward, rocking back and forth slightly._

"_Sir," said the first one again. "If you do not make an order, we are sitting ducks! Tell this army to either retreat or fight!"_

"_What do you want, Sir?" asked the other once more. "Do you want to flee and save yourself, or do you want to fight to the death, defending you honour, king, people, and your land?"_

"_What are your orders, Sir?"_

"_What are your orders, Sir?"_

"_We fight!" screamed Amentaris, finally. "We shall fight to our last breath! We defend our honour, and it will give everyone time to get out of the city!" He turned around at his officers. "Sound the war horn, and send a dispatch inside the castle to get the Royal Family out of there. Form the ranks; prepare for a full-scale besiegement!"_

_Amentaris raced down the hill on his steed, as his officers followed close behind, one withdrew and blew into the war horn. Amentaris watched as the entire army turned their heads at them. Amentaris raced through the training soldiers and officers._

"_Form the ranks!" he yelled. "Prepare for a full-scale attack! Ganondorf is a deceiver! This is not a drill! I repeat: this is not a drill!"

* * *

_

Once Link finally regained consciousness, he still could not see. It was still dark in here, and extremely humid. There was unbearable stench in the area, one that made Link feel like throwing up. The floor was somewhat soft, yet supportive as well. With a large amount of energy, Link managed to get up onto his feet. Unfortunately, he still could not see anything. However, he knew exactly where he was; he was inside Jabu-Jabu's belly.

It wasn't like he expected to see anything…it was just a small subconscious hope. He also was confused as to the location of his guardian fairy. He briefly recalled loosing grip of her, but he also remembered that she did go down with him. So…where was she? If she were to be around, her glow would've been able to clearly point out her position. He looked around, but still saw nothing but the infinite darkness. Suddenly, he looked behind him, and saw a tiny blue light amidst the black. Before Link did anything, he recalled his memories of being inside the Great Deku Tree. He remembered when he saw a light and thought it was Navi, it turned out to be a Baby Gohma. He would not make the same mistake again this time. He was going to call out her name, and if she did not respond in a language he could understand, he was going to take no chances and strike. He silently withdrew his sword and got ready. He took a deep breath and spoke.

"Navi?" he called. "Is that you?"

"Link?" she called back. "Where are you?"

Link took a deep sigh of relief and put his sword back in its scabbard. "I'm over here!"

Following Link's voice, Navi burst into his direction. Unfortunately, it looked like she was going to blow right past him, but in a quick reflex, Link caught her in his hand.

"I'm right here, Navi," he said as he let her go.

"Thanks," said Navi. "I thought I lost you."

He glow intensified as she became overjoyed with Link's presence, and she somewhat illuminated the "room". The whole place was constantly in motion, the walls moving in and out, like they were breathing. They were all slimy and wet with mucus, like a normal stomach would be, but they were slightly discoloured due to Jabu-Jabu's sickness. There were puddles of water all over the floor, leftovers from his last drink…or something. Navi's glow did not light the entire area, however, so the majority of the room was still veiled in black.

"Come on," said Link. "Let's look around."

They turned away from the wall they were facing, and looked onward into the darkness. Link began to walk forward, Navi following. They began to reveal parts of Jabu-Jabu's belly as they progressed. Every so often, they would pass mounds of dead fish and bones; the source of the fetor. Link began to sweat due to the humidity of the place, and started to get stressed as well. As Navi uncovered more and more of the room, Link began to wonder if there was actually anything alive in here…

His question did not go unanswered for long; he saw something run past Navi's light. It ran by fast, so Link did not see what it actually was, or whether it was friend or foe.

"What was that?" he asked Navi. Before she could answer, the thing ran by again, this time in the opposite direction.

"Hello?" he called out. "Is anyone else in here?"

No answer. Link began to become afraid. What was that thing? What was it doing in here? Before Link could call out again, something ran into him, hard. Link stumbled back, as the thing fell down onto the ground. Link had been knocked about too many times today. Startled, Navi shone her light on what just hit Link.

It was a small Zora child, about Link's size. Link could tell this was a female, since she was shaped differently from all of the other Zoras. He skin was the same colour as the others, except instead of turquoise spots on her back, her skin gradually shifted to that colour from the front to back. Her head was different as well; instead of having a tail and flipper coming out of the back, her head basically widened dramatically from the bottom up, like an upside-down triangle. Her fins were small and undeveloped, but that was probably because she was still small. Her eyes were quite large and sparkly, with an unusual lavender iris.

Afraid, she scurried back and managed to get back on her feet.

"Who are you!" she shouted. "How did you get in here!"

"Whoa, hey, calm down; I'm not going to hurt you…" said Link urgently in an attempt to calm her down.

"What do you want, then!" she demanded. She obviously had a very short temper.

"Well…" said Link as he scratched his head. "You wouldn't happen to be Princess Ruto, would you?"

The girl's eyes widened as if Link had just insulted her. "Of course I am! Don't you Hylians know of Zora royalty?"

"I'm not Hylian," said Link, cutting her off. "I'm Kokiri."

"Whatever," said Ruto as she rolled her eyes. "You all look the same to me." Although Link was glad he finally found Ruto, he wasn't sure if he actually liked her. "Well, I've introduced myself, why don't you be courteous and introduce yourself, Kokiri?"

Link shook his head. "I am Link of the Forbidden Forest."

"…and who's–?"

"Navi, my guardian fairy."

"I see…weird…" mumbled Ruto, not really caring. "Well, Link, what are you doing in here? Did you come looking for something?"

"Actually," said Link. "I found your letter in a bottle. It was floating downstream."

"Letter in a bottle? I have no idea what you're talking about!" scolded Ruto as she crossed her arms and looked the other way.

"Well…" mumbled Link. "Your father sent me here. He wants you home; everyone is worried."

"I…don't…care!" snapped Ruto as she turned back around. "Besides," she continued as it seemed she was calming down. "I'm not leaving here until I find the…thing I'm looking for." She pointed an angry finger at Link. "You! Go home! Understand?"

She turned around sharply, and walked in the opposite direction. Link shook his head as she walked away, but she was soon stopped dead in her tracks. Her arms flinched as if she had been startled by something. She nervously, slowly took a step back, letting Link see what was in front of her.

It looked like a floating, electrified jellyfish. A mushroom-like, light blue, transparent head waved and kept it airborne, at the same time protecting its purplish brain. Hundreds of small tentacles swayed underneath it, and conducted its electric charge. This creature did not look friendly at all, and it was threatening Ruto. It made somewhat of a snarling noise at it intensified its charge.

Ruto began to gasp and breathe hard in terror, and Link knew he had to do something. He withdrew his sword once more and prepared to attack it.

"Link! No! That's a Biri!" screamed Navi as she flew in front of him.

"What!" yelled Link. "I have to help her!"

"Not with your sword, your not! Your sword is made of metal; you'll get shocked!"

Link looked at his sword and cringed. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Use something projectile!" yelled Navi urgently. "Throw something at it…I don't know!"

"What could I possibly throw at–?" Link's mind clicked, and he immediately took the boomerang he acquired earlier. He looked at it, then at Navi.

"Would this do?"

"I don't know! Try it!"

Link licked his lips, drew back the boomerang, aimed at his foe, and threw it. It made full contact with the Biri and stuck, piercing right through its protective layer and brain. It made some kind of a screeching noise as its electric charge built up to an extreme climax, but it only hit the boomerang impaling it, and was also unaffected by it. The Biri fell to the ground with a squish, and was soon a hissing puddle of goo. Steam rose out of it as it evaporated.

Ruto was on the ground now, catching her breath. Link approached her; she did not seem to notice.

"Are you okay?" Link asked.

Ruto nodded. "Yeah…I'm fine…"

Link outstretched his hand towards the fallen princess. She turned her head, saw it, and accepted it. Link pulled her to her feet.

"Thank you," said Ruto, still catching her breath. "I have to say I'm grateful."

"No problem," Link replied. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked as he claimed his boomerang from the sizzling remains of the Biri.

"I'm okay," said Ruto weakly. "I've been going inside Jabu-Jabu ever since I was young, but…"

Link put the boomerang back onto his belt and straightened up. "…but what?"

"Well, now it's all…dangerous, ever since he got sick. Now…it's filled with these electrified jellyfish and all sorts of other creatures that I've never seen before."

"Then why'd you come here, knowing it is dangerous?"

"I didn't know that when I came in here. I didn't really know the true nature of Lord Jabu-Jabu's illness."

"Oh, I see…" Link mumbled. There was a brief pause.

"Look," said Ruto, breaking the silence. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. It's just that…well…this is a personal issue, okay? I was planning to do it alone, and I don't want any help, understand?"

"From what I've just seen," said Link. "It looks like you need all the help you can get."

Ruto sighed. "I guess…"

"Tell you what," said Link encouragingly. "I'll help you find whatever it is you're looking for, if you want. It's no trouble."

Ruto smiled. "Well…alright then. However, I'm not going to leave until I find what I'm looking for, got it?"

"Sounds reasonable."

"Well, good. Let's start looking then. Try to keep close to me."

"I'm right behind you," said Link as they began to venture further into Jabu-Jabu.

_Ganondorf paced the halls of Hyrule Castle as he usually did. He knew that the army was now aware of the impending siege, and that they were getting ready. The king didn't know, however, and he wanted to keep it that way. It was time to put all of these months of planning to test. This was the moment of truth, although he had already foreseen their victory. He was going to watch the pathetic Hylian army fall to their might, and be vanquished from this world once and for all._

_He passed by a small flight of stairs, looked down, and saw three soldiers rushing up the steps. These, of course, were the ones who were going to try and warn the Royal Family to leave the castle. Ganondorf was not about to let this happen. He stopped at the top of the stairs and waited. The soldiers came up half way, and then noticed his presence._

"_You!" exclaimed one of the guards. Ganondorf snickered._

"_Ganondorf! You treacherous dog!" yelled the other._

"_Treachery?" questioned Ganondorf. "What is this, now?"_

"_You know full well what it is!" shouted the third guard. "You've doomed us all to a future of darkness! I will not let you rule our fair land!"_

_Ganondorf chuckled. "Oh, is that so? How disappointing. I was hoping for a real warrior to stand up to me."_

"_You conceited maggot!" barked one of the other guards as he pointed his spear forward. "I'll gut you myself!"_

_The soldier rushed up the stairs, ready to kill his enemy. Ganondorf didn't move a muscle as the guard charged. Once the guard was in range, he swung his spear at Ganondorf. Unfortunately, Ganondorf blocked it with his forearm, gripped the guard's weapon, and drove it into his chest, sending him falling down the stairs and onto the other guards. They all tumbled down the steps and landed in a heap on the floor._

"_Fools!" yelled Ganondorf from the top of the steps, clenching a fist of power. "You cast away your hopes of salvation!" As he clenched his hand tighter and tighter, it began to grow hotter and hotter, eventually glowed a fiery red, and then burst into flames. "I hope you three enjoy playing with fire," he said coolly. "Because I do!"_

_He thrust his fist forward, launching a ball of fire in the scrambling guards' direction. Upon contact with them, it spread rapidly around the corridor, and went right through the soldiers' armour. They got up and tumbled over repetitively as they tried to put out the flames, but it was no use; the fire was too intense. Their screams were unbelievably satisfying to Ganondorf; he could listen to it all day. However, he had more important things to attend to. He turned to his left, away from the burning soldiers, towards the Royal Quarters._

_It was time to take care of the king._

Holding his breath, Link weakly kicked around rotting debris which Jabu-Jabu must have consumed months ago. The stench and sounds made Link want to vomit, but he had to look under everything if he were to find what Ruto was looking for. He didn't quite know what it actually was, so he wasn't even sure if he had already passed over it. Ruto had some distance on him, while Navi fluttered in-between the two, lighting their line of vision as best she could. They were silent for a while, not to a surprising extent for Link. He wasn't really fond of Ruto; she was a little too focused on herself and her own goals as opposed to that of others. Link was not about to believe that she was the kind-hearted princess he thought her out to be. He turned around to glance at Ruto, who as currently digging around in some other decaying substances. He shook his head, and turned back to what he was doing. As he pressed on through the decomposing fish carcasses and other substances, he heard Ruto violently kick her on pile in frustration. He was forced to turn back around to the enraged princess. She was pacing around aggressively.

"What is wrong with you?" said Link in a disgusted tone. "Calm down, would you?"

"Shut up!" snapped Ruto. "How dare you speak to me like that? I'm a princess!"

Link shook his head. "I don't care. You aren't quite the princess I had in mind."

"Had in mind?" gasped Ruto. "What on earth are you talking about! That is your fault for making an assumption before you even meet a person. Who do you think you are, anyway? Some kind of guy who thinks he can walk into anyone's business and treat them like dirt?"

"I could ask you the very same question," retorted Link with wandering eyes.

"Alright then," said Ruto as she crossed her arms. "How am I budging into your business?"

Link's lips curled as he fell silent.

"Aha!" snapped Ruto as she pointed a finger at him. "You don't know, do you? Who is in the wrong, Link? Who is the oppressor?"

"Be quiet!" yelled Link. "Who cares? I don't even know why I'm helping you!" he shouted with an irritated tone. "I didn't come here for you, or your father, or even your entire race! Tell me, why am I here?"

Ruto's eyes hardened and narrowed. "My father appointed this task to you, according to you; I expect you to fulfill your duties."

Link laughed with wryness and frustration. "My duties? Since when were they my duties?"

"When my father assigned them to you."

"It doesn't matter," said Link quickly. "I didn't even agree to it anyway! All I said was that I would help him out; I never said in what way of fashion, so if you look at it, I don't have to be doing this."

Ruto shook her head slowly. "Then why are you here?"

"I want something of yours," said Link with no hesitation. "I want it, and I need it. It is a treasure of your people."

"A treasure?"

"Yes."

"I have no idea what you mean by that…"

Link grunted. "Don't play dumb with me!" he scowled. He felt more and more sinister with each passing sentence he stated.

"I'm not playing dumb with you!" yelled Ruto. "What do you want?"

"I want the Sacred Stone of Water!" shouted Link. "Call it whatever you want; it doesn't matter. All I know is that I need it for reasons beyond your concern."

Ruto's nostril's flared, as if she were expecting this. "Oh, you want Zora's Sapphire, do you?" she giggled sarcastically. "Well, tough luck, Link!" She turned around crossly and looked up at the ceiling. "Do you know how many travelers have come by in search of it? Do you know how many times I've been forced to hide it? Do you?"

"No, and nor do I care."

Ruto laughed. "Just what I expected. No one cares about the Zoras anymore. All people care about these days is power and money." She turned around sharply, back at Link, eyes ablaze. "And you expect me to give it to you, just because you waltz in here and ram yourself headfirst into my business? Just because my father sent you? You think I have some type of responsibility to give this stone to anyone who demands it? Listen, Link, quite frankly, I couldn't care less about you, so why do you think I should give it to you?"

Link was silent.

"You see?" said Ruto triumphantly. "You don't know, do you? That's because there is no reason why I should give it to you. What about me? Don't you care about what happens to me? I am Zora royalty! I need to find what I am looking for and I need to get out of here, and it's your job to help me, understand?"

"Why? It's not my fault that you are a spoiled little brat, is it?"

Ruto's pupils shrunk to grains of sand. "What!"

Link turned away as she began to approach him.

"What did you just call me?"

"You heard me," called Link, not turning around. "You're a spoiled little brat."

Link felt a hand grip his shoulder tightly and spin him around. He was now face-to-face with Ruto's fiery eyes. He had never seen anyone so angry.

"Say that one more time…"

Link leaned forward in her direction smugly. "Spoiled…little…"

Navi rushed between their noses, trying to break it up.

"Stop it!" she yelled. "You're both acting ridiculous!"

"…brat!" Link finished, ignoring Navi's warning. Within the time window of half a second, he felt the cold sting of Ruto's hand across his face. He stumbled back a few steps in shock, before getting speared by Ruto's head, sending them both flying forward. In the brief moment in which they were airborne, Link wondered where Ruto acquired so much strength, let alone weight. When they expected to his solid ground, or flesh for that matter, they instead went right through the floor, and fell deep down into a yawning chasm, once covered by a separate pile of digesting food. Navi's light vanished as they plunged away from her. Link bounced off the walls every so often, tucking his head in to protect his neck. He tried to drown out Ruto's screams of terror as they plummeted, and kept one hand on his cap, keeping it from falling off. They fell faster…faster…as if the drop was never going to end. Just as Link was about to lose all hope, they hit bottom, which was fortunately soft tissue. It was completely black; no light whatsoever. Ruto was silent; he wasn't sure if she was speechless, unconscious, or even dead. He just lay there on the wet, slimy tissue which broke his fall, hoping to see Navi's light trickle down through the endless obscurity or for Ruto to say something, or maybe even await his own death by whatever creatures lay beyond the void.

* * *

_Amentaris could not stop the nervousness from flowing through him. As he gripped the leather reigns of his horse, he could see and feel his fingers twitching, his hands shaking with fear, worry, and doubt. A drop of sweat journeyed from his hairline and down his cheek. He hadn't been trained for anything like this; he didn't even dream of being trained for such a thing. The size of that army…unbelievable. Their formation…perfect. Their weapons…godly. Their armour…impenetrable. It was nothing he had ever imagined to see, let alone deal with. Their goal was obvious, and the fact that it could have been prevented so easily made Amentaris sick. His face twitched as he continued to look down, unable to stand looking at the fear stricken soldiers before him. He knew that they had formed the ranks, and were physically ready for the greatest battle this land has ever seen. However, Amentaris knew in his heart and his years of experience that they were not physically, emotionally and psychologically prepared for it; even Amentaris himself wasn't. He wasn't even sure if they would cooperate with his orders due to their terror. It was more of a threat to them if one soldier were to say "every man for himself" than the army that was getting closer to them as he thought about these things._

_He looked up. He could now hear the thundering footsteps of the soldiers…coming closer. He looked over the hundreds of heads of the Hylian soldiers he had rounded at the front line. They all looked onward, over the iron hill which the enemy was going to charge over, determined, yet doubtful. With such suspension, Amentaris was almost positive a mere movement of one's head would send the entire military into anarchy. A small clank was heard occasionally when a soldier shifted his position slightly or moved his weapon to another hand. The soldiers were as surprised about Ganondorf's deception as Amentaris was, and he figured that that wasn't a good thing. If they were to make it out of this alive, the security of the castle would have to tighten its grip so drastically that it wouldn't be a nice place to live anymore. So, in a way, when Amentaris thought about it, whatever the outcome of this battle, it would end up in disaster for the city._

_He knew it was going to be a long day._

_He turned his head around to the magnificent castle behind him; what he was going to try and defend from certain doom. The small dispatch he had sent to warn the king should've been warning him by now, and once that was done, they would sound the doomsday alarm, which was a giant bell in one of the castle's towers. If they were not able to do this task, then the city would be taken by surprise if they were not successful in fending off the enemy. Amentaris cringed at the thought of it. All of those poor people…unable to defend themselves against a giant force running rampant in the streets. Who knew what cruel things they could to do them?_

_However, Amentaris had a funny feeling that it wasn't going to make it, the dispatch. He knew that Ganondorf was still in the castle, and was probably going to detect and intercept them if not run into them by chance. He closed his eyes and shook his head glumly before turning back to the looming hill, the army's footsteps growing louder._

_Amentaris' right-hand man, who was mounted beside him, leaned over cautiously in his direction._

"_Are you alright, Sir?" he whispered._

"_Yes…" Amentaris mumbled back. "Yes, I think so."_

"_Nervous?"_

"_Very," he breathed. "What about you?"_

"_Yes, my liege. I must confess; I've never actually been in a battle like this before."_

"_Me neither," Amentaris admitted. "We've been trained for it, however."_

"_True, but we never really expected to actually use our training in something so real."_

"_Right," puffed Amentaris. "Let us hope our instincts aid us on this day, then."_

"_I pray they do, General. I pray they do," said the official conclusively._

_The quaking thunder that was the army's footsteps continued to grow intense. Amentaris' horse, along with a few others, reared in fright as the ground began to shake. Amentaris locked his feet in place and gripped the reins tightly, supporting his own weight, preventing him from falling off the animal._

"_Whoa…" said Amentaris, trying to calm the beast down. It reared a few more times before it began to calm down. It still neighed and shook its head violently in terror. Amentaris clenched his teeth together as he began to feel a dark aura emerging over the hill. It was like a black mist spreading along the ground, while and intense radiation of evil emanated from the hill's peak, corroding all that surrounded it. The horses began to act up again as the sound became unbearable for them. A few cavalry soldiers fell off their steeds, and the horses took off in the opposite direction, nearly trampling the guards in the process. Amentaris managed to stay mounted, however, along with the rest of the mounted soldiers. Falling off his horse was not what made Amentaris' heart decay at this moment; it was what was coming closer._

_He could now hear the army chanting. One defiant voice would call out, followed by a mountain-shattering answering call from thousands. It was a language Amentaris could not understand, but it affected him as if he actually knew what they were saying. The sky began to transform into a solid grey as the air began to grow cold and stale. The view began to grow vaguely hazy as the noise grew louder still. Amentaris began to breathe hard through his nose as everything seemed to increase in some way. The aura grew insufferable, along with everything else. Amentaris thought he was about to collapse amidst everything that was happening, when suddenly, when he expected as much as the end itself, there was silence._

_Just like that, there was nothing. Amentaris saw nothing, heard nothing, and felt nothing. When he expected the enemy to burst over the hill and charge, all there was, was emptiness. It was so quiet that every blade of grass was distinctively heard as they rubbed against each other in the soft wind. Amentaris didn't even breathe and he wasn't even sure if anyone was doing the opposite. He swallowed, and continued to peer at the top of the calm hill. The aura still remained, and Amentaris wasn't surprised. He could only assume that the army had come to a halt, but for what? He could only wait and see; running over the hill to check what was going on was a sentence to a trap. He wanted to let his eyes wander away from the point of interest, but was unable to, no matter how hard he tried. His heart began to beat faster and harder, struggling to escape the battlefield, but Amentaris kept it down as best as he could._

_Wryly thinking, he muttered to himself, "There is no way this day could get any worse…"_

_On cue, just when Amentaris wished he shouldn't have jinxed it, he felt a cold drop of water on his nose. Then, another on his hand. The next fell onto his shoulder and another on the back of his neck. A light drizzle began to come down, moistening everything around him, and within a few moments, buckets of water came crashing down to the earth, soaking everything. Amentaris did not budge amidst the irony. Thunder was modestly audible from this point, making the situation even worse than it already was. The darkness that the rain brought only brightened a blood-red glow coming from behind the hill. Amentaris still wondered who was leading this army if Ganondorf was still inside the castle; there was no way an army so huge could get here on its own._

_Amentaris' question did not go unanswered for long. Not a thousand, not a hundred, not even ten figures came over the horizon. All there was was one, and it wasn't even walking at all. Instead, it was hovering at least ten feet off the ground. It sported a huge, black trench coat, and a dark helmet that covered its entire face. It couldn't be…yet there he was. It was the ancient warrior and commander of legend, and he was on Ganondorf's side. As if he thought the army's size was impossible…this was…_

"_Kanakana!" Amentaris exclaimed. A series of gasps and inhales of shock and confusion rang throughout the ranks. Amentaris' officials were gawking at the imposing figure before them. He was as still as a statue, Kanakana, arms crossed and feet together. It was somewhat hard to make out his details from behind the rain's silver curtain, but there he was. Amentaris could not believe it. Many thought him to be dead, but it appeared as if he was the one leading this army. His black figure, outline by the crimson red glow rising from behind the iron hill, cast a shadow over the Hylian army. He peered over all of them, as if counting their heads._

"_Hold your ground!" shouted Amentaris, trying to keep the soldier from panicking. "Wait for my command!"_

_Kanakana almost immediately glanced over to Amentaris. The force of his gaze was so intense; Amentaris was almost knocked off of his horse. He couldn't see his eyes, but he could feel him looking at him…spying on him. Kanakana spread out his arms as if casting a spell._

"_Amentaris…" he said calmly. His voice was mysteriously amplified by some sort of black magic. His machinelike voice made the ground vibrate. "Poor…miserable fool…" he continued on. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this was the last thing you expected as your downfall."_

_Amentaris bit his lip, but said nothing._

"_Ah…" said Kanakana, looking up, absorbing the negative energies surrounding him. "I can feel all of your fear, Amentaris…all of your rage and anger…" He looked back down at him, putting him back in shadow. "…and it only makes me stronger, Amentaris…only stronger. That's why I can never be beaten, Amentaris. Admit it!" The sky darkened behind him and a slow, rumbling sound echoed throughout the field. "I look scary…don't I?" he laughed. "With a mere mention I can drive anyone into permanent paranoia!" he growled viciously. "With all the fear and nervousness from your battalion, Amentaris, I gain unlimited power!" He cackled wildly, with a harsh wind to add to the effect of his madness. "Don't you begin to understand!" he shouted. "I am invincible! Not only am I the victor over the greatest warrior who ever lived; I also feed off of other people's misery, which will forever be endless in supply!"_

_Kanakana grew darker and darker as he continued to build up energy. "There will be no terms, young fool! This land shall be claimed in the name of my lord, and your future king, Ganondorf Dragmire: King of Thieves! The very soil you stand upon shall hear his name for eternity!"_

_Kanakana flew up a few feet, getting ready for the moment of truth. "Hylians like you have oppressed us for long enough. Amentaris, you, like the others, shall fall to our might! You have seen the last of this world!"_

_He outstretched his arms, fists clenched, in opposite directions in a cruel snap. Black light began to radiate powerfully through them._

"_Now, my minions!" Kanakana screamed. "ATTACK!"_

_Just before Amentaris' life could flash before his eyes, the ground shook as if an earthquake had just struck. The horses flailed maniacally as the soldiers mounted on them tried to keep them steady. Then, Amentaris saw it._

_The shadow that was Black Wind stormed over the hill towards them. Thousands of Moblins, Lizalfos and Dinofos spewed over the hills summit, wailing and raising spears, swords, axes and clubs into the air as they exploded towards them. The ground shook uncontrollably as the black rushed towards the light. It was unthinkable, and yet so real. The impossible decibel that the army made as it stampeded and screamed was deafening to all who heard it. Amentaris was so bewildered by the overwhelming size of what was approaching them, he forgot his duties._

"_Soldiers!" he screamed in a desperate attempt to get over the sound of the charging army before him. "Plant the spears! Plant the spears!"_

_Since the message could not be heard at the front line, the soldiers used their trained abilities and passed the message to the front. In an instant, the front line got the message, took out their spears, ran up a few feet, crouched down and drove them into the ground, tips facing forward. This would act as a barricade for Amentaris' division, but he knew it wouldn't hold them for long._

"_Draw your weapons!" he barked. The Hylian army scrambled to get their swords and spears out before Black Wind broke through them._

"_Ready…!" growled Amentaris as the Black Wind closed in. In a flash…for it all happened so fast, Black Wind clashed against the Hylian resistance in an explosion of darkness, light, metal, fire, and blood. It had started…_

_The fight for Hyrule had begun…_


	17. Barinade

17

_Barinade_

Link wasn't sure how many times he has slipped out of consciousness, or whether he was actually awake the whole time. The only thing he knew was he had seen nothing but darkness for at least an hour now, and things weren't getting any brighter. There was no sign of Navi, and Ruto hadn't moved since they fell. The horrible stench was still present, unfortunately, and the clamminess of the place seemed to grow more intense with each passing minute.

Link was didn't want to move, so for the past hour or so, he just lay there and thought, since that was all he could do at the time. He wondered what was happening at the castle…how Zelda was doing. He sure hoped this mission didn't take too long, since he had no idea how close the enemy was to Hyrule Castle. What bothered him was that the plan made for meeting up with Zelda wasn't really thought out too well, so there was no telling what was going to happen when he came back.

…that is, if he came back.

Link was at a state right now when he couldn't really think out anything in relative depth. His mind would pass over large things, think about the obvious, and then drift away to something else. Supposedly he was too knocked about to really concentrate on anything. The only thing he could really focus on was the shadow that surrounded him, for it was the only thing he could see. Its simplicity made it easy to think about, but in a sense, Link's mind hurt at the subtle complexity behind its curtains and meanders.

It was like the darkness was a series of paths, with thousands of connections, none with a definite destination. It was like a winding series of tunnels, all connected and looped around each other in an endless cycle. If one were to enter one of these tunnels, they probably would never find their way out, and if they did, they would be right back where they started, and if that were to occur, they obviously did not go far into the darkness at all. Being the new adventurer that Link was, he had an urge to explore these dark tunnels, but forced himself not to, by sheer common sense of course.

As he concentrated on the darkness surrounding him, he began to see details of Jabu Jabu's belly more clearly, as if an unknown light source had been highlighting the simple shapes of the walls. At first, they were just faint lines of simple definition. Soon, however, he began to see the basic shapes of the constantly moving walls, and his own silhouette. It was like a picture drawn in chalk on black parchment. Link ignored his curiosity of where the faint light was coming from, and tried to see even more clearly. Soon, the white lines began to become greater in number, and began to show more features of his surroundings. He could see some of the more distinctive bumps and ripples of Jabu Jabu's flesh, and saw them breathing in and out. He put his hand out in front of his face, and saw basically most of the details. He could see the individual fingers, and maybe a slight hint of his fingernails. He turned it left and right, examining how well he could see in the dark now. It looked as if his eyes were adjusting to the dark, where there was no light that his eyes could brighten at all. As Link could see more and more, he found the energy within himself to sit up. He flinched slightly when he could not sit up, but realized it was because the floor beneath him was covered in some sort of sticky substance. He lay back down, curled his lip, breathed in through his nose, and struggled to get his back off of the floor. He managed to rip himself off of the ground, but not without loosing a good chunk of his tunic in the process. His upper back was exposed, and Link could already feel significantly cooler. He supposed it was a good thing, though, since the place was so warm. He pondered every so often when he was ever going to get new clothes to replace these ripped, blood-stained garbs.

He looked to his left to spot Princess Ruto. She was still lying there, seemingly still unconscious. However, Link had to make sure if she was alive or not. Sighing deeply, he crept over to her on his hands and knees. It was difficult to do so, however, due to the sticky surface. Link cringed as the surface tugged at his skin in an attempt to keep him in place. He tugged hard every time he took a step forward, wasting all of his energy. He kept his eyes on Ruto, though, to keep him focused on his destination, not the obstacles in his way. He had to see if she was breathing, for it was impossible to tell from the distance he was at, which was only a few feet. In blind determination, he continued to struggle in Ruto's direction. The pain was obvious to him, but he made it seem like he didn't feel it all, as if he had lost all of his nerves. At the time, he wasn't sure if it was Ruto herself drawing him towards her, or if it was the extraction of the Sacred Stone of Water. He didn't care at the time; he just pressed onward. As he inched closer and closer to his destination, he began to hear frequent buzzing noises behind him. He ignored them in his tunnel vision. As they became more frequent and louder, he forced himself to turn his head. It appeared that the surface he was beginning to breathe at a struggling rate, and was getting electrically charged by an unknown force. He could see small bolts of electricity coming from beneath the surface, making him panic. Once he turned back forward, he realised that Ruto was lying on a separate part of Jabu-Jabu's belly, which was not struggling to stay alive at all. Link immediately knew what he had to do; something drastic. As the large piece of living flesh he was on began to move in and out uncontrollably, Link hollered and lifted both of his forearms off of its surface. Link was sure he had ripped all of his skin off, but now was not the time to worry about that. He ignored the pain as he yanked one of his knees free, and used the strength in that one leg to push against the swelling flesh, forcing his other leg off of its gluey surface. He winced as the stinging throbbed all over his limbs. Suddenly, he felt a sudden jolt of pain in his arm, that in turn rushed through his whole body, forcing him to jolt a little. Once it stopped as soon as it started, Link realized that he was just struck by a bolt of the electricity coming out of the tissue he was standing on. This was just what he needed to get the determination to get off of this time bomb. With hardened eyes, he looked at his destination. It was only a few feet away, but it looked like a mile. He shook his head at what he was about to do, and then got ready. He swung his arms back and bent his knees to get some potential energy going, and then thrust forward, barely getting his feet off of the ground. He flew head first over to place where Ruto lay, and he managed to put his forearm in front of his face as he dove into the ground. To prevent his neck from snapping, he succeeded in performing a good shoulder roll to soften the impact. When he opened his eyes, he became conscious that he had just barely missed Ruto when he leapt off of the platform. He scrambled to grab Ruto's arm and drag her away from the pulsing bubble. He leaned back, trying to keep his distance as well before the thing exploded. It began to steam and sizzle, and the electricity began to spark from everywhere. The bubble of flesh got bigger and bigger, but soon began to deflate, like a ball with such a small piercing that it gets smaller very slowly. The steam began to billow furiously, but the electricity began to fade and grow weak. The bubble eventually just flopped to the floor, and spread out calmly. Link's jaw dropped, and he fell back in frustration, unable to sit up facing such irony. He breathed hard as he contemplated his unnecessary actions, but maybe even cracked a smile in the process. He hammer punched the ground, as he snickered a little, but then his mind suddenly set its sights on the pain in his shins and forearms. He winced as he tried to get his mind off of it, and triumphed slightly. He soon chiselled it down to small aches on his skin. He calmed himself down, and simply lay there, still catching his breath. He curled his lip before taking in another deep breath. He lay there for a fairly long time, and he was drawing closer towards sleep, when he sensed movement beside him. He opened his eyes, and sat up. He saw that Ruto was cringing and was tossing a little. It seemed that she was beginning to wake up. However, this process didn't look too enjoyable to her. Link reacted quickly and crawled towards her. He put his hands on her shoulders to hold her in place, and at the same tried to keep her comfortable.

"Princess Ruto…" he whispered. "Princess…can you hear me?"

Ruto continued to try and squirm underneath the pressure Link was applying to her shoulder, but luckily could not turn over. She was biting her lip, and her eyelids gradually tightened their grip around her eyes.

"Ruto, it's Link," Link said softly. "Wake up; you're having a bad dream."

This didn't seem to be working, since she began to breathe hard, and her heart started to beat rapidly. Link knew he could do nothing but continue to encourage her awakening.

"Princess…" he whispered again. "Please wake up. It's not real, Princess. Please…just open your eyes. Wake up…"

Ruto breathed in deeply, and then exhaled, calmly and slowly. A few moments passed, and Link was afraid that if he took his hands off of her shoulders she would start tossing again. After a while, she slowly lifted her eyelids, revealing her lilac irises. They glittered even in the dark, which bewildered Link somewhat.

"Wha…" she whispered, barely able to talk. "Where am I?"

"Shh…" said Link in a low tone. "You were just knocked out for a bit. Your fine now."

Before Ruto could reply, the room was gradually illuminated in a familiar cerulean glow. Link looked up the hole they had fallen through to spot his guardian fairy returning to them.

"Navi!" he called out.

"Link? Where are you?" she squeaked back.

"We're just down here. Ruto had a bad fall…come quickly!"

* * *

_Zelda raced through the hallways of the castle after the huge rumble she heard a few moments ago. She didn't quite know what it was…but at the same time she had a distinct idea. She could hear muffled hollers on the other side of the castle walls, which made her subconscious theory even more accurate. She was running towards the nearest window that overlooked the western fields, since that was where she determined the noise was coming from. She hoped that she wouldn't run into anyone while she rushed down the corridor, but at the same time she was hoping to see Impa, whom she hadn't seen since she last talked to her. She didn't really feel comfortable, and she could sense the presence of death here…and lots of it. Obviously, it wasn't a feeling that brought good emotions to Zelda, but it pushed her forward, nevertheless. She had to know what was happening outside…she had to confirm her fears._

_Zelda took a right and exploded through one of the dorm room doors. She ran through the small guest room, and stampeded towards the window opposite her. She ran up to it so fast that she almost fell right out of it in the process. She leaned over the edge and looked down towards the western fields. Zelda's eyes widened as she put both of her hands over her mouth in shock. Giant waves of black were swarming down towards the Hylian blockade below her, and things looked pretty grim on both sides. The Moblins, Lizalfos and Dinofos weren't as trained as the Hylian soldiers, but they were outnumbered ten to one. For every ten soldiers from the Black Wind that fell, one or two Hylians would, and in more grisly ways. The Hylians would attack the enemy by simply launching their spears or firing arrows from the rear, but the enemy would not only use their weapons, but their primal attacks as well. Lizalfos would jump on top of soldiers and literally bite their heads off, but were soon killed by another soldier. Zelda couldn't understand how the Hylians were withstanding such oppressing force, since the amount of enemies charging against the Hylians grew with each passing second. She could spot Amentaris at the back of the Hylian resistance, mounted and simply watching, perhaps plotting a new strategy. She could see Kanakana too. Apparently this was the first time she had seen the man, but some strange feeling told her otherwise. As she watched the hundreds, and soon thousands of soldiers dying, Zelda couldn't help but shed a tear or two. It could not be seen, but there was definitely blood on the green, and Zelda hated thinking about it. She began to panic about what she should do. Should she hurry and escape, or stay here and wait for Link to return? She did not know how long it was going to be until the defensive line was breached, so it was basically a gamble. She turned towards the door that she came in, and looked at it in a desperate hope that it might give her a sign of what she should do._

_What appeared was the exact sign Zelda did not want. A dark figure walked by and stopped at the door. Its massive arms hung low by its sides, muscles bulging at every part of its body. As it slowly turned its massive head, two fiery eyes stood way out from the pitch black figure._

"_Aah…just who I was looking for…" Ganondorf said coolly in his gravely voice. Zelda stood silent. Ganondorf casually walked into the room, the light from the window making him fully visible. His eyes lost their glow due to the light, but his pitch-black armour made him look even more intimidating. With each step he took, the ground shook slightly. He sported a wicked grin of confidence as he narrowed the gap between him and Zelda._

"_What do you think, Zelda?" he asked calmly._

"_What do I think of what?" she replied with a hardened face, not daring to move. Ganondorf outstretched a hand towards the window. _

"…_that. What do you think of what his happening? What do you think of what I have accomplished and what I am about to accomplish?" He chuckled silently to himself as he crossed his arms and sluggishly paced the room. Zelda noticed that he left the way towards the door wide open when he began to walk around the room. However, knowing Ganondorf, he must've had some sort of trick up his sleeve when he did this, so she kept her feet planted. _

"_Tell me…" he continued. "…what does one think of when she finds her kingdom in facing an inevitable doom?" He clenched a fist as he went on. "…when she finds the very source of corruption?" He eyed Zelda viciously, awaiting an answer. Zelda shook her head._

"_I think of ignorance," she replied._

"_Ignorance?"_

"_Your own ignorance of what you stand for…"_

_Ganondorf's eyes narrowed. "…and what exactly do I stand for, Princess?"_

"_You stand for evil, Ganondorf," said Zelda with confidence. Unfortunately, she did not get the reaction out of Ganondorf that she wanted. He simply snickered._

"_Evil…" he muttered, pondering the world in intricate detail. "Evil is merely a perspective, Zelda, and one that no longer concerns me. One man's champion is another man's nemesis…have you heard that expression?" Ganondorf took his eyes off Zelda as he thought. "Obviously, from your point of view, I'm the evil one. However, from the way my people and I look at it, the Hylians along with the Royal Family are the most evil beings ever to curse this land." He turned back to her, his eyes almost bursting out of their sockets. "Come to think of it now…do you have any idea why this is happening? Do you understand the reasons behind all of this?"_

_Zelda nodded slowly. "Greed and power would be my best guess."_

_Ganondorf laughed modestly. "An honest assumption, truly…but there is much you don't know Zelda…and much you never will. What lies within our reasons is much more non-cliché."_

"_And what would that be?" Zelda questioned, seeing nothing else to do but keep Ganondorf busy._

"_You really want to know…don't you?" said Ganondorf lowly. "You Hylians banished us to the desert…and for what? Because we were different than you! Our culture was different, and the king at the time thought it was unhealthy for your society if we were to stay here. So, he naturally thought it was best to send us away to nearly starve to death. The old fool…he never thought all these hundreds of years later, we would get our revenge…" He sniffed as he grinned. His empty eyes dragged lazily towards Zelda. Each of them was like a needle, each one piercing one side of Zelda's head. "It doesn't matter now. You have something I want, and if you give it to me, slowly, then I may just let you go."_

_Zelda took a step back. "What do you want?"_

_Ganondorf bared his teeth that were one hidden underneath his wicked grin. "You know exactly what it is, girl, and I demand you hand it over." He extended his hand, as if expecting Zelda to just hand it over without question._

"_Never!" Zelda retaliated. "I'll never hand over the ocarina to the likes of you!"_

_Ganondorf began to approach her more quickly now. Zelda backed up more and more as he got closer, the clashing of iron becoming louder each step._

"_Hand it over, and I may undo what has already begun…you have my promise…" Ganondorf hissed slyly. Zelda didn't dare say anything to the man, who grew impatient by the second. Suddenly, Ganondorf hastily popped a vein in his forehead, causing one eye to narrow while the other widened._

"_Give it to me!" he shrieked as he almost broke into a run._

_Before Zelda could even flinch, Ganondorf stopped in his tracks, stumbled back a bit, and held his chest, like had just been scratched. Something was in front of Zelda almost within the same second, blocking her view of the King of Thieves. It was Impa! She grabbed Zelda and brought her close, protecting her. Impa had her knife out, and was holding horizontally in front of her face at the ready._

"_Take one more step towards her…" Impa threatened with a growl. "…and the wound will be a lot deeper."_

_Ganondorf took his index finger and wiped it along the cut that Impa created, which in fact pierced right through his armour. He watched the drop of blood trickle down his finger. He grinned sinfully._

"_Hm…it's been a while since I bled my own blood," he said calmly as he shook the blood off his hand. He crossed his arms directly over the wound, as is it weren't even there. "I must say, Impa, you are truly an honourable Shiekah warrior. None but the Shadow Folk have such agility and preciseness. Even my servant, Kanakana, would be impressed by this."_

"_Then I suggest you'd leave, now!" Impa snarled, ignoring Ganondorf's compliments. "If you can't handle a Shiekah, then disappear before I change my mind."_

_Ganondorf shrugged. "Why should I, now? I know you're here, so I can predict your every move. Don't be a fool, Impa…what do you take me for? You should've killed me when you had the chance! The master of the Shiekah fighting style is my underling, so why should I grovel! Ha!" Ganondorf bared his wicked, razor sharp teeth once again. "Strike me, warrior! I do not fear thee!"_

_Ganondorf's eyes flickered as Impa gently pushed Zelda out of the way._

"_Fine!" she shouted. "If that's the way you want it, then so be it! My blade shall taste the blood of evil!"_

_In a lighting-fast movement, Impa spun around and kicked Ganondorf square in the stomach. However, all that came out of Ganondorf was a tiny cloud of dust where Impa's foot made contact and a large thud from the impact. Ganondorf, quite literally, did not move back from the blow, like Impa had just struck a brick wall. In a reflex just as quick, Ganondorf grabbed Impa's ankle with a death grip. Impa roared in pain as it appeared that he was crushing her leg. Zelda cowered in the corner, watching the fight. Impa abruptly regained focus, swung what parts of her body were free around Ganondorf, and managed to stab him in the back of his leg. He yelped as he let go of Impa, setting her free and leaving him open for a fatal blow. She backed up to the corner of the room, and then charged at her foe at an impossible speed. She jumped up on top of Ganondorf's back and raised her blade to deliver the mortal blow to the back of Ganondorf's head. However, just before she made contact, The King of Thieves, grabbed her by the neck and flung her over, sending her crashing into a dresser on the far side of the room. Dust flew everywhere, and bits of wood clunked around as they scattered throughout the room. Zelda screamed in terror as Ganondorf approached the ruins. Impa was partially buried under the rubble, and appeared to be knocked out. Ganondorf loomed over her, as if waiting for something. Just before he was about to turn around, Impa leaped out of the rubble with her dagger shining in what little sunlight was coming out of the window. Unfortunately, all Impa got out of that attempt was a punch to the side of the head, and she was truly out cold. Zelda shuddered at the speed in which Ganondorf took care of a Shiekah, and with barely any trouble. He was hardly even limping as he headed towards the exit, despite the deep wound in his leg. She wondered why he wasn't coming for her…were there other things he needed to do?_

_Ganondorf sluggishly walked out the door. Before turning down the hallway, however, he turned around, and spoke to no one in particular, but Zelda knew the message was directed to her._

"_I'll give you a while to think about it. For now, you may stay here while I take care of some unfinished business."_

"_How dare you hit a woman!" Zelda shrieked, trying to buy more time before he took off. "What twisted morals do you have!"_

_Ganondorf snickered. "At this point, young fool, I have no morals."_

_With that, Ganondorf brutally rammed his fist into the arch of the door, sending dozens of bricks crashing down to the floor, blocking off the path to the hallway, and Zelda's freedom. She rushed out of her hiding place and up to the rubble in a desperate attempt to escape, but it was no use._

"_Let me out!" she screamed as she helplessly scrambled to try and remove the fallen bricks, but nothing happened._

_She could still hear him laughing as his voice echoed throughout the halls, and slowly grew more distant.

* * *

_

"How long were we down here for?" Link asked curiously.

"About an hour, I'd guess…" Navi mumbled. "I didn't see where you two fell, so it took me a while to find the hole, and it took me even longer to decide whether or not I should go down…seeing as that you were probably dead."

Link chuckled. "Well, I think I've gotten out of worse situations that just a big hole, right Navi?"

"I'd suppose so," she guessed.

Ruto coughed slightly, and brought everyone's attention to her. He eyes moved lazily toward Link.

"Link…" she whispered. Her voice seemed to be beginning to come back. "…I'm sorry…"

"Sorry for what?" Link asked.

"I'm sorry…that I hit you…"

"No…you don't need to be sorry," Link replied with a smile. "I deserved it; I was being mean."

"No…" Ruto whispered back, her lavender eyes filling with light tears of guilt. "I was being unreasonable. I was also self-centred as well."

"Well," said Link, eyes wandering. "I suppose we can leave it as that we're both sorry for what happened."

Ruto nodded. "Okay," she said, not in a whisper, but more of a tired voice. She winced, and then put a lot of effort into an attempt to sit up. In a scramble, Link went to her side to ease her back against the moving wall. Ruto exhaled deeply once the task was done. Her eyes were closes for a while, as if she were asleep, but then they slowly opened.

"Well," she said, not really looking at Link. "Link, if you wouldn't mind, can we wait here until I get my energy back?"

Link didn't really want to wait; Zelda could be in trouble right now. However, he did need the Spiritual Stone, and if he were to obtain it from Princess Ruto, he'd have to gain her friendship, just like with Darunia.

"Alright then," he sighed, but with an added positive tone.

"Thank you…you're sweet," Ruto replied kindly, her voice sounding clearer and clearer each time she spoke. Her sudden change of heart bewildered Link, but she had had frequent mood swings often since Link met her, so it was only natural. Saying that, Link prepared himself not to be surprised by a sudden spontaneous lash-out from Ruto.

They sat there quietly for a while, thinking of nothing in particular. Every so often, Link would look into the deep, black opening to see if anything approached. Every time, however, there was nothing to be seen. He supposed he did that because of the fact that his mind was constantly telling him that this was too easy so far, and since Link sensed that this was going to be his biggest challenge yet, he could only expect something horrible approaching.

Ruto shifted uneasily.

"So…" she began, obviously trying to start up a conversation while they were down there.

"So what?" Link questioned.

"Tell me your story…" she mumbled. "…now that we have the chance to talk…"

"Oh…" Link muttered. He wondered why she wanted to know his recent past all of a sudden. It might have been because she may have had her mind off of the thing she lost. "Hm…" Link murmured. "Where to start?"

Ruto shrugged, not really looking at him. "I don't know…where are you from?"

"The Forbidden Forest. I thought I already told you that!"

Ruto shook her head. "I know that. Tell me what it is like. I've never been in a…forest before…"

"Oh, okay," Link said, getting comfortable where he sat. "Well, there are a lot of trees…"

Ruto nodded, listening.

"And, um, it's pretty mystical and bewildering, the forest, especially to someone who has never seen one before."

This seemed to grab Ruto's attention. Her eyes met his intently. "What do you mean?"

"Let's see…" said Link, scratching his head.

"The Kokiri live there…quite a few of them, actually," Navi added in. "Each Kokiri has his or her own guardian fairy, such as myself."

"I see…interesting," said Ruto, looking away again. "Tell me more."

"No matter where you look," Link continued. "There are always fireflies."

"Fireflies?" asked Ruto. "What are they?"

"Oh, man," sighed Link. "How to describe them…do you know what regular flies are, Princess?"

Ruto nodded. "We don't see much of them, though."

"Well, fireflies are basically like regular flies, except they light up, like tiny candles that float around constantly. It makes the forest look really pretty, almost hypnotic, if you will."

"That's fascinating," complimented Ruto. "Do you miss your home?"

Link nodded solemnly. "When I left, I was ecstatic to see the outside world, but I never expected to get homesick."

"I guess it's because this part of the world sounds so different than your home," said Ruto.

"Exactly. I've gotten used to it, but I still miss the comforts of home."

Ruto nodded. "Maybe I've taken this place for granted, then."

Link raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Ruto shrugged. "I always wanted to explore the outside world. I think I'm a lot like you in a way. Perhaps it's best if I stayed here…"

Link shook his head. "I'm not saying that all. I never said I regretted leaving home. Now that I think of it, it was probably the best decision of my life."

Ruto's eyes widened. "Really? Why?"

Link's face turned red. He didn't want to tell her the reasons why leaving the forest was a good thing, since the story of Ganondorf and Hyrule's impending doom would probably frighten her. "You'll find out in due time. Just go out every so often, but don't wander too far away from home; Hyrule can be pretty rough in some places."

"So I've heard," Ruto said, now turning her whole body towards Link. It seemed she was now getting into the conversation more deeply. "I've heard many stories of foul beasts that roamed these lands. Like um…oh what was its name…?" Ruto snapped her fingers as she tried to recall what she was thinking of. She bit her bottom lip. "It is…kind of like a spider; do you know what it is?"

Link shook his head. "Perhaps if you described it more…"

Ruto looked up. "Um…it gives birth to dozens each day. Oh!" She made gestures with her hands, visually describing the creature somewhat. "It has a great, big eye…"

Link looked up and at Ruto. He had a good idea what she was talking about, but

there was only way to find out.

"Queen Gohma?" he suggested.

Ruto sighed noisily. "That's the one! Recently slain, right?"

Link nodded.

"Ah…" she said as she turned her head, stroking her chin. "So, you know of it as well?"

Link laughed wryly. "Do I know of it? Ha!"

Ruto's eyes narrowed as she turned back to him. "What do you mean? Was my sentence wrong or something?"

"No!" Link chuckled. He settled himself down and gazed back at Ruto. "Let's just say I had a…personal connection with the creature."

Ruto drew back slightly. It was almost if she had seen a ghost. "You don't mean to tell me…" She shook her head and smiled. "Nah…that's impossible."

"Very," said Link, reaching into his pocket. "I mean, what are the odds, right?"

"Heh…a little kid…like you? Slaying Gohma? As if! That would make quite a story."

"Indeed," Link agreed. "I shouldn't even joke about it, shouldn't I?"

"I wouldn't say that. It would be interesting to imagine," Ruto mumbled.

"I see…" said Link as he found what he was looking for. "But then again, if I didn't do it, it would be hard to think of an explanation for this…"

Link removed the Kokiri's Emerald from the pouch he was rummaging through. It came out very bright, but lost some of its glow as it was separated from the Goron's Ruby that Darunia gave him. The gem's jade radiance flickered off of Ruto's eyes as she held her breath. It seemed as if Link had floored her.

"The Sacred Stone of Forest!" Ruto exclaimed. "But…how…?"

Link shrugged. "Well…what do the rumours say?"

Ruto flinched. "Rumours?"

"The ones that tell of me. What do they say about how I killed the beast?"

Ruto shook her head in disbelief. "They can't be about you! You're not…him…"

Link's eyes narrowed, still holding the Sacred Stone. "…him?"

Ruto rolled her eyes. "The real hero! He was supposed to be a full-grown man!"

Link curiously looked down at himself. He wryly looked at his arms, not letting go of the emerald, and then felt the shape of his face. He gave a witty smirk to Ruto.

"Hm…" he mumbled. "It doesn't look like I'm that old…does it?"

Ruto's nostrils flared. "…no…"

"Here," said Link as he playfully tossed the Kokiri's Emerald towards Ruto. She squeaked as she barely caught it. It slightly lit up her face, but she merely looked back at him, confused.

"Does it look like a fake?" Link asked, crossing his arms. He eyed her intently. Ruto glared at him for a moment, and then looked down, closely examining the emerald. She turned it over a few times, feeling its textures, and brought it up close to her eye occasionally. Her lip curled frequently as she realized more and more who Link really was. She would look up at him with astonished eyes once or twice before going back to the gem. She let her body go limp helplessly as she could not find a single error in the relic. She tossed it back to Link the same way he gave it to her. He caught it in his right hand, and dropped it right back into the small pouch with the Goron's Ruby. They clanked when they hit each other, and just before Link pulled the string to close the pouch, he could notice the significant rise in the stones' radiances.

"I see…so there is more to you than I thought…" Ruto admitted.

Link laughed. "Most people assume less of me when they see me." He shrugged modestly. "I guess that's the way it goes. People don't really expect great things out of young people anymore."

Ruto nodded. "I think I can relate…"

Before Link could hear what Ruto has to say, Navi silently interrupted them.

"Look…" she whispered.

Link squinted at her to see where she was actually looking. Her head was pointed towards the black abyss before them. Her long bangs blew in front of her face due to the light breeze made by her fluttering wings. Her blood-red irises made a sharp contrast with her sky-blue body and hair. Link snapped out of it and peered into the black Navi was spying on. Indeed, he saw something…at least…he thought he did. It was a tiny glitter in the distance, barely highlighted by Navi's shine. It could barely be made out by the eye, but there it was. Link sat there and pondered what it was for a few moments…he had no clue. However, once Ruto noticed and spotted what they were looking at, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Link!" she gasped. "Carry me over there!"

"Huh?"

"Don't ask!" she yelled. "I need to get over there; towards that glitter! Help

me get over there; I can't walk on my own!"

Link looked up and sighed utterly. He slowly stood up, and offered a hand towards Ruto. She took his hand, and he yanked her to her feet. She stumbled a bit and slumped onto him. He took her arm and put it around the back of his neck for support.

"Okay…" she mumbled.

"Navi," said Link. "Light the way."

* * *

_Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule sat quietly in the Royal dorm, contemplating the recent issues with the Goron hunger problem. When he received the report of the mysterious death of King Dodongo before the fall of the brigade that invaded Dodongo's Cavern, he thought it was a joke. He was told just before the report that a small division of their armed forces was planned to depart towards Death Mountain to deal with the problem, but then they were stopped once a group of mountain Gorons visited and told us that the issue was dealt with. When the king asked them exactly how it was done, they shook their heads, saying that they promised who was responsible not to tell anyone who they were. It was unusual behaviour for Gorons, since they were usually open about things that happened on Death Mountain, since their allegiance with the Hylians was rather strong and_

_trustworthy. Something huge and secretive must have happened up there, and it would have been a bad thing if the Hylians knew exactly how it all happened. He decided to let it go, since everything was already all said and done. If he thought about it too much, he would ignore current things._

_The King of Hyrule sighed solemnly; there were no current things._

_Just then, he heard footsteps from outside his chamber door. They were slow, sluggish and heavy. They were perfectly even, each making the exact same sound, like a machine doing the same task again and again with absolute precision. The clunking was similar to an ominous monster approaching from beyond the veil of the castle wall, bringing somewhat of a chill up the king's spine. His eyes narrowed, and he looked away from the hall, slouching back in his chair. "Ganondorf," he muttered to himself, stroking his short beard. "…what would he want?"_

_Ganondorf had stayed here for too long, he thought. It was about time for Ganondorf to leave the castle, in which they had provided him with hospitality for much longer than they would with other VIPs they would let stay here. If Ganondorf entered the king's dorms, he would tell him that it was time for him to head home._

_The golden knob on the door began to wriggle a little bit, and ever so slowly, it twisted silently to the left, gradually opening the door. It clicked as the latch was completely removed from the socket, and it froze there for a moment or two. Hyrule's king did not know whether or not Ganondorf was hesitating, or simply building a suspenseful atmosphere for a purpose he knew nothing of. Soon enough, however, the door slowly began to creak open. The long groaning made the king watch with anticipation. What was Ganondorf doing? Why was he looking like he was sneaking in?_

_Soon, though, the door was wide enough for him to step through, and the large, heavy footsteps of Ganondorf continued once again, briefly. His figure was not the distinguishable surrounded by darkness, but the first thing the king noticed were Ganondorf's eyes._

_Standing out from the rest of the black, like two large drops of molten rock, floating mysteriously in the air, they appeared suddenly, followed by a cool, spine-chilling gentle whoosh of air, with a sound quite similar to someone exhaling._

_Ganondorf then stepped into the light, revealing his massive physique. He approached the king with a disturbingly stern look on his face. The ground jolted somewhat noticeably with every step he took._

"_Ganondorf…" mumbled the king. "Look-"_

"_I grew up in my country, learning and growing in a vast desert…" said Ganondorf, looking at the wall, speaking to no one in particular._

_The king was puzzled. "…what? What are you saying, Dragmire?"_

"_When the sun rose into the sky…" Ganondorf went on, ignoring the king. "…a burning wind punished our lands; searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes."_

_The king was silent. He didn't know what Ganondorf was talking about, but it looked like he was going somewhere with it. Ganondorf paced around the room, stroking his chin, pondering._

"_No matter when it came, the wind always carried the same thing…"_

_Ganondorf paused, stopping in his tracks. The king could help but be curious._

"…_and what did it carry?" asked the king._

_Ganondorf turned his head and eyed him darkly with his flaming eyes._

"…_death."_

_The king bit his lip as Ganondorf once again paced the room._

"_But…" he continued. "The winds that blow across the green fields of Hyrule bring something other than suffering and ruin." He stopped once again in the middle of the room. He looked up at the ceiling slightly, his eyes displaying a look of longing and guilt. "I…covet that wind…I suppose."_

_Ganondorf levelled out his head and regained his character. A hidden grin revealed itself on his face. "Well," he said in a little more casual tone. "I believe it is quite obvious what you want; I've been here for too long, and you wish me to leave, correct? You believe that this castle only has room for one king, am I wrong?"_

_Hyrule's king hesitated. "Wha-? Oh…well…yes, actually. How did you know of this?"_

_Ganondorf exhaled loudly through his nose. "I have my ways. I can sense the slightest thought or emotion from a mile away, your highness; let's just leave it at that. However," he said, raising his voice to some extent. "I can assure you, your majesty, the two kings within this castle will return to one today. I have made it my responsibility that there is only a single monarch, and no more, in this fantastic architecture."_

"_Oh," sighed the king happily. "Well, that is a lot of weight off my shoulders. I was sitting here contemplating how I was going to let you know that you were to return home. Thanks to you though, that's no longer necessary. You have my appreciation."_

"_And in return," said Ganondorf in a mysterious tone of voice. "I invite you to simply look out your window."_

_The king's eyes narrowed. He was puzzled as to what Ganondorf meant by this. "You want me…to look out my window."_

"_Literally speaking, yes," replied Ganondorf._

"_Now?"_

"_Now would be best, your lordship," said Ganondorf, bowing his head. "Let us share the magnificent view before I leave this castle your newest ally."_

_The king shrugged. "Well, if you insist, Dragmire…I suppose it wouldn't hurt," mumbled the king as he got up from his seat. He managed to keep his balance as he straightened his posture, and eventually headed toward the door._

"_After you," said Ganondorf courteously as the king marched past him. The king walked towards the shutters in the room, Ganondorf following closely behind, his grin never ceasing to be present on his mug. As Hyrule's king approached the window, he began to hear odd noises. They were quite muffled from outside of the glass and wooden shutters, like a thousand voices crying in terror under a blanket of soil and cotton. It only filled him with wonder and curiosity. He put his right hand on the right shutter, and held it there for a second. What, exactly, was Ganondorf showing him, anyway? He was still silent behind him, perfectly still. He had to see what was outside, whether it was in his favour or not. He gripped the side of the shutter, and with a little hesitation, threw it open._

_It was just what he had feared._

_A gargantuan, black military was pressing against his only defence in a struggle to defend the castle below him. What seemed to be the last of the army was making its final rush towards General Amentaris' position, and it seemed as if he was ready to do some fighting himself. A looming figure floated on the enemy's side of the field; Kanakana, whom he thought to be long dead since the Great War ten years ago. This was a day he had long feared and somewhat anticipated; the day that the Hylians would fall. It was so obvious who was responsible for this, and he was standing right behind him. Oh, what irony had struck him now! His daughter warned him about this, but he ignored her, thinking that it was some kind of childish game. Now, however, he faced reality in its full glory, and it was spitting in his face._

_When the king was seemingly about to collapse, something caught him. However, this force seemed anything but friendly, as it immediately put him in a painful hold, making him unable to move his arms or neck. It didn't take long for the king to realize that he was face to face with a cruel-looking dagger._

"_So…your highness," snarled Ganondorf from behind him. "What do you think of the…view?"_

_The king closed his eyes and winced. "Oh…my precious Zelda, I am a fool."_

_Ganondorf chuckled with the utmost satisfaction. His breath licked the back of the king's neck like fire. "So, the princess warned you about me…didn't she? I was suspicious of this, but it didn't matter, since I was relying on your inflexibility."_

_The king turned an angry eye towards who he thought was his largest ally in his rein. "You won't get away with this, Dragmire…mark my words." He looked down at the courageous soldiers giving their lives for their kingdom below him. "You underestimate the will of my people. They won't fall under the rule of evil as easily as you assume. They will fight until their numbers are completely gone if they so desire. You may win this battle, Ganondorf: King of Thieves, but I can assure you, the war you are sparking is far from over."_

_Ganondorf sneered. "Heh…you seem to know your people pretty well, it seems."_

"_I am their king, after all."_

"_Don't worry, Daphnes," whispered Ganondorf. "By the time your people see my overwhelming power, they will have no choice but to fall under my rule!"_

_The king began to breath hard as the malicious blade crept dangerously close to his neck. "They would rather die than take orders from you, you fiend!"_

"_Who says that I would not make a great ruler?" asked Ganondorf slyly. "A golden age awaits Hyrule! You should be happy! The Gerudos will finally be free, and we will all live our separate ways, without the Hylians telling everyone how to live. Don't you think this is a revolutionary way to improve our country's providence?"_

"_It sounds like you are confused. They have never had any respect for you ever since the Great War. Now that you have eliminated their only source of salvation, they wouldn't care if you were the greatest ruler that they ever had. You will never control them…never!"_

_At this point, Ganondorf had had enough, and he was going to finish this…now. With no hesitation, he thrust the knife right through the throat of the Hyrule King. Blood spurted out of one side and spewed out the other as well, sprinkling Ganondorf's face with the monarch's life. Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule gasped and gurgled as the life slowly drained out of him. Ganondorf did not sit there and wait for him to die though…he wanted him dead, now. He ripped the blade out of the king's neck, and in a split second, he brutally kicked the stumbling king right through the wall. He smashed right through the layers of bricks and the glass window in which he was looking out. Even after shattering layers of stone, the king cleared the castle a few feet before plummeting to his doom. His bleeding neck created a mist of blood as he fell, somewhat marking a trail in which he fell. Ganondorf couldn't help but laugh as he approached the hole in the wall he just created. He carefully stepped across the many bricks scattered across the floor, sometimes even crushing the odd one under his immense weight. He grabbed onto the right side of the hole to balance himself as he peered over the edge. He looked down just in time to see the king hit the ground, bounce a bit, and then remain motionless. Once a pool of blood began to emerge around his body, his death was confirmed, and Ganondorf reared his head and cackled madly. The high winds blew through his hair as he celebrated his victory._

"_Hear my voice!" Ganondorf called over the land that would now be his. "I am Ganondorf, and I am your new king! All shall bow to my power!"_

_Lightning flashed in the background as he looked over his new kingdom. A golden age in Hyrule now was beginning._

_Ganondorf turned towards the door in which he entered. Now that the king was dead, and the Hylian army growing smaller by the second, only one thing remained…

* * *

_

Link slowly walked Ruto over to the glitter that still shone brightly amidst the darkness. It glowed brighter as Navi got closer to it, but it was still impossible for Link to make out what it was. Ruto seemed anxious to get to it, though. With each step Link took, he could sense Ruto's excitement rise. She was in bad shape, and Link couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Sure, she was whiny and sometimes a bit of nuisance, but she had her sweet side as well. Maybe sometimes she just got a bit confused, and basically just didn't know how to act. Link could relate; sometimes he'd just get angry and frustrated for no apparent reason, based solely that he had no idea what was going on. Link didn't really have a really good idea what was happening on this entire adventure. At least it was going to be over soon. He would finally return to the forest and live life where he was supposed to be…the way he was supposed to be. He could admit to himself, however, that it was kind of fun, despite all of the near-death encounters. He got to know the land outside the forest well, and now he had many stories to share with his friends. Perhaps it would increase his popularity back home, and it could give him some respect from Mido.

"There…just a bit further…" whispered Link, trying to keep Ruto motivated. They were almost there, and only a few steps away from the shining object. Link realised that it was partially buried under a pile of digested food, and only a tiny bit of it was poking out, making the unmistakable gleam.

Suddenly, Ruto quickly broke away from Link's support, fell down, and began to scurry across the floor towards the shiny object.

"Princess Ruto! Wait!" called Link, but she ignored him. She crawled up to the pile of rotting fish, and wincing, she shredded through it. The object slowly got revealed, but Ruto was blocking the view, so Link could not see. He ran up to her, and tried to get a look over her shoulder to see what she found. Before he could set his eyes on the object, a blinding blue light burned his eyes and lit the whole room. Link stumbled back, covering his eyes. He regained his balance, and managed to open his eyes slightly. The light began to fade, and he could soon see Ruto again. She was laughing, and holding something close to her chest. She was rocking back and forth, as if she had found her own child.

"Yes! I found it! I knew it was here…I knew it!"

Not asking anything, Link ran back up to her to see what it was.

"What is it? What did you find?"

"My mother's stone!" Ruto exclaimed. "I found it! I knew I would…"

"Really?" Link asked enthusiastically. "Is that what you were looking for?"

"Yes…" Ruto whispered.

"…forgive me if I sound rude…but can I see it?"

"What?" Ruto exclaimed.

"I don't want to hold it!" Link said quickly. "I just want to see it."

"Oh…" Ruto mumbled. "Well…okay."

Ruto held up the object, and showed it to Link. It was a mysterious jewel. Three, perfectly spherical, blue jewels were arranged somewhat in a triangular pattern. Three half-moon shaped pieces of gold held each gemstone in place, and were all connected in the middle, combining them into one priceless gem. Between each azure crystal, a diamond-shaped piece of gold connected them, making the structure stable. There was no mistake about it; this was Zora's Sapphire.

Link could not believe it. All this time, the thing Ruto had lost was what he was searching for. So, being here wasn't at all a waste of time. In fact, Link could snatch it out of her hands right now and get away with it, but something told him not to…something making him unable to do such a thing. His lip curled.

"Hm…it's pretty…"

Ruto, now seeing Link was done looking at it, found it within her strength to stand up and let her hand rest by her side. She seemed so relived and happy now that she found it.

"Well, Link, I finally found what I was looking for," she sighed with a smile. "I have no reason for being here anymore, and neither do you. Link…" she breathed with ease. "…you may now take me home."

Link smiled back and was ready to support Ruto again to begin the long journey out of Jabu-Jabu's belly, when he noticed something. Ruto's eyes drifted away from him, and seemed to spot something. He cheeks, which were narrowing her eyes since she was smiling so much, slowly receded as her smile faded, making her eyes grow with contrast. They quivered with shock and a hint of fear. Link knew there was something behind him, so he immediately spun around, at the same time pulling the Kokiri Sword out of its scabbard.

Behind him was another Biri. However, this one was bigger than the one he encountered before. It was twice the mass of the previous Biri, with a much wider "head", but shorter tentacles. It looked like it had tribal designs on its head, red in colour. Sparks of electricity occasionally jumped around its body.

"Don't worry, Princess," said Link, issuing a hand towards her, signalling for her to back away. "I've got this…"

Link eyed the Biri closely, looking at the way it moved in an attempt to predict when it was going to attack.

Navi flew close to his ear. "Be careful…" she whispered cautiously, not trying to aggravate the Biri. "That's no Biri…"

"What?" Link whispered back, still eyeing what apparently was not a Biri. "Then what is it?"

"It's a cousin of the Biri," said Navi. "I would assume it would be harder to kill. This is a Bari."

"A Bari, eh?" said Link slyly. "No problem."

Link slowly reached down to the right side of his belt, in which his boomerang rested. Before he could quickly remove and throw it, he spotted something else. Another Bari approached from the darkness. Electricity flowed violently from the center of its transparent body, probably symbolizing anger. It too looked as dangerous as the first.

"Hm…" Link mumbled, hand lying loosely by the handle of his boomerang. "I should be careful. If I attack one, the other might attack, and I'll be vulnerable."

"So…" said Navi, resting on his shoulder. "If you attack one, you'll just have to watch the other closely, and try to evade it. Maybe after you can snatch your boomerang and then kill it."

Link looked at Navi. "We're getting good at this, aren't we?"

Navi giggled and looked back at the two enemies. She gasped. "Link…look…"

Link slowly turned his head back to the threat. He then realised that another Bari had made its way to the scene.

"Okay…we're going to have to be careful, Navi," Link muttered to his partner.

"Got it. I'll keep a look out for you."

Link turned to Ruto, who had scurried back as far as she could go.

"Are you okay, Ruto?" Link asked her quietly. Ruto slowly pointed a finger back towards the enemies.

"Link…" she whispered. "…look…"

Link once again turned his head back, and spotted two more Bari emerge from the darkness. They too, seemed pretty angry.

"What?" said a baffled Link. He slowly took a step back. "Navi, I'm not sure if five Bari are a reasonable match for me."

"Yeah…" mumbled Navi. "This may be a bit of a problem, but…oh no…"

Another Bari appeared.

"What is this?" asked Link. "…some kind of ambush?"

Four more Bari.

"No…this is impossible!" exclaimed Navi.

"No way!" screamed Link. "Ten of them! Ten!"

Link could hear Ruto making noises of panic behind him. She seemed like she felt even more threatened by their presence than Link.

"Ruto!" yelled Link. "Get away! Get out of here, now!"

"They want it!" screamed Ruto.

"Want what!"

"They want my stone! They've grown attached to it; it's been here for so long! They think we're stealing it!" she cried. She almost curled up into a ball, she was so afraid. Link turned back to the enemies, thinking things couldn't get any worse. However, they did. Giant bolts of lighting flew out of the darkness at each and every Bari. The lightning somehow attached itself to their bodies, and stayed there. The Bari didn't seem to be affected by the lightning, but they weren't fighting it, either. Instead, as if they were ropes, they dragged the Bari back into the darkness. However, as the monsters travelled away from Link, the light that radiated from the lightning created a light, so he could still see them. Once they got to what appeared to the centre of what Link now realised to be a rather large area of Jabu-Jabu's belly, they revealed a large, throbbing, red mass of what looked like flesh. The Bari circled around it, dividing themselves evenly in their orbit, lightning still pulling them around the throbbing red thing. The lightning appeared to be coming from this thing, and it looked anything but friendly. Soon, one by one, the Bari were drawn in close to the thing by the lightning, and once they were almost touching it, they would turn themselves and sink their many tentacles into the red flesh. They basically covered the entire thing, five on the bottom of the somewhat round organic structure, the other five on the top. It looked like they were protecting the structure…creating a shield of Bari. Electricity was snapping out of the protected structure like a lightning cloud itself. Soon a loud crack was heard, and the whole room was suddenly alit by an invisible light. That's when Link truly realized what that thing was.

The largest part of it was the large, red part protected by the Bari. Small, purple tentacles, about a foot long each, were now poking out of the middle of the protected part, wagging to and fro. It had large, pink tentacles at its base, which were submerged in the ground, sucking up something; probably energy from Jabu-Jabu. On top of the protected area, there was somewhat of a round dome, with dozens of small, black eyes. Link wasn't sure if they were real or fake. At its very top, there were six large, thick tentacles, each about five feet long. Three of them were red, and were implanted in the ceiling, sucking up energy from poor Jabu-Jabu as well. In both areas where energy was being drained, the flesh was discoloured and somewhat rotten. The other three looked a lot more dangerous. They were more of a bluish colour, with small, fleshy dishes on their tips. These seemed to be conducting a huge amount of electricity, and they were looking this way and that, possibly searching for a target.

Ruto squealed and cowered in the corner.

"What…what is that thing?" Link asked Navi, bewildered.

"I don't…I don't know…" mumbled his guardian fairy. "But I can guarantee you that is why Jabu-Jabu is so sick. Look at where it is infecting him."

Suddenly, the giant monstrosity of a creature made some undistinguishable gurgling and hissing noises. They sounded coordinated, as if it was trying to communicate.

"Wait…" said Navi. "…I think it's saying something."

"What?" said Link. "What are you talking about? This think can talk!"

"It's a primitive and ancient tongue, spoken by Bari and aquatic animals that can make noises. I think I can understand some of it…" she replied.

"Well…" muttered Link. "What is it saying?"

The thing made the same gurgling and hissing as before, in the exact same pattern.

"It's saying…" mumbled Navi. "…it's saying 'Give it back…give it back…"."

"Give it back?" questioned Link. "Is it talking about the stone?"

"Probably."

Link decided it would be best to speak back to the parasite. "You're not getting it back! It's not yours! It belongs to Princess Ruto!"

More hissing and gurgling.

"It's saying…'Thief…thief'."

"We are no thieves!" scowled Link. "We are merely taking back what is rightfully ours!"

It hissed and gurgled louder this time.

"…'Then you shall die'…" Navi said with a tone of shock to her voice.

Link simply stared at the thing, not sure if it was even looking at him, let alone know where he was.

"What are you!" he demanded. "What are you called!"

This time, the creature did not hiss in its primitive language. Somehow, with difficulty, it managed to hiss in a way that Link could understand what it was saying.

"_Barinade_…"

* * *

_Amentaris was knocked clear off his horse by the blunt end of a spear when the enemy finally broke through the lines. His army was almost depleted. They went from about one thousand to what Amentaris estimated to be about one to three hundred. However, the enemy did not seem to be coming over the hill anymore. Had they already defeated the majority of the army? It seemed impossible…ten thousand gone in that amount of time was unknown to Amentaris, so it couldn't have been the entire army they had just faced…only a fraction. It was about two thousand they had defeated before the enemy was fighting the entire remnants of the Hylian resistance instead of just the front lines. He had to keep fighting; he was going to die with honour._

_The bloodthirsty Moblin that knocked him off of his steed approached the fallen general, spear raised, ready to strike. Amentaris drew his twin swords by instinct, and spun his body around on the ground, swords outstretched. He managed to make contact with the Moblin's legs as he performed the quick recovery manoeuvre. It roared in agony as his shins were separated at the knee, and fell to the ground, unable to move. Amentaris literally jumped to his feet, and put the Moblin out of its misery with one stab to the forehead. He looked up to see his army attempting valiantly to fight off the last bits of the enemy, and knew he had to help. Giving his infamous war cry, he charged forward into the brawl, he managed to drag his swords across the backs of the already fighting Moblins and Lizalfos to cripple them and let his men finish them off. A few of them turned around and charged at the target that stood out from the rest, but Amentaris was too quick and cunning for them. He charged at full speed, and using his martial arts skill, ran up the torso of the nearest monster, and got up to the height of his head. He leapt from it, but not without striking the backs of their heads with his razor sharp blades. Like a child jumping on stepping stones, he leapt from all five of their heads, killing them instantly with each jump. The Moblins, being as slow witted as they were, weren't fast enough to get the general in mid air, so they only fell. Amentaris landed on the ground, one sword drawn aback in case of any surprise ambushes. Indeed, there was one made by a snarling Lizalfos. Amentaris swiftly killed it with an upward, diagonal blow from his left hand, slicing the beast in two. When he turned around, he was tackled by a Dinofos. It quickly pinned him down, and began to draw in breath; about to burn him alive. Wasting no time, Amentaris used his foot to flip it off him, sprung off the ground with his hand, and managed to drive the blade through the monster just as it hit the ground. It screamed for a second, before falling silent. Feeling the adrenaline flowing through him now, he jumped up from the corpse and managed to leap just in the right direction to behead another Moblin. He stood up slowly, and observed how the battle was going now. He noticed that the last of the black army had been pretty much defeated, and Amentaris still had a couple hundred soldiers to spare. About fifty Moblins, Lizalfos and Dinofos were now running for the hills. They felt outnumbered now that most of their men had fallen, and were trying to escape!_

_Amentaris raised both of his swords in triumph and screamed as loud as he could. The army responded in an uproar of clanking and cheer. Some of the soldiers were even jumping in the air as the overwhelming relief of impossible victory overtook them. It was unbelievable; an army as intimidating as that was still no mach for the Hylian resistance!_

_The last soldiers of the enemy fled as fast as they could back to the hills, towards their leader, Kanakana, still floating powerfully over the iron hill. From where Amentaris was standing, it looked as if he was pulling something out of his black trench coat. He took his hand out, and seemed to be gripping something in his hand. He held his fist near his masked face, drew back, and threw whatever he had in his hand in a sweeping motion. Within a split second, all of the enemies rushing the hill fell, dead. Amentaris' army recoiled at the sight of one man killing so many in one invisible blow. Amentaris knew what he did though. One of the Shiekah's trademark skills is the ability of throwing poisonous needles. Kanakana probably took out fifty of them, and threw them at the running soldiers with precise aim. It was amazing, really. The Shiekah had taught the wicked person everything they knew. However, killing their own men was definitely not a policy of the Shiekah. Kanakana was indeed a dark person, and had betrayed the best of himself._

_Kanakana calmly and slowly crossed his arms. The pouring rain almost evaporated as it hit him. A thin layer of steam rose from his body, making an intimidating physical aura around him._

_Amentaris pointed a sword at his enemy._

"_Leave our fair grounds!" he called out to him. "You, and your army, go back to where you came from! Go back to the shadow!"_

_The army cheered at Amentaris' words. Never did they think that they would see their leader talk down to who was attacking them. The faint light shining on the Hylian forces and General Amentaris was actually a large contrast to the darkness that surrounded Kanakana._

"_You are not welcome here, Kanakana: servant of Ganondorf! Go and rot in the West!"_

_Amentaris expected Kanakana to silently leave the scene, but no such thing happened. He simply remained there, floating in the air. He remained as still as stone, never averting his hidden face. Lightning struck the mountains behind him occasionally, only making the Hylians more impatient in waiting for his response. Soon enough, they got it. Kanakana began to chuckle. His laughter grew gradually. It would be safe to make the assumption that he was far from done with the Hylian resistance. He was cackling insanely now, his amplified voice making some of the soldiers cover their ears. He calmed himself down, still chuckling a little bit. He was now silent again, but this time, one arm was outstretched. Probably bearing an evil grin under his steel mask, he snapped his fingers._

_Boom…_

_Amentaris and his army heard it…it would be impossible than anyone didn't if they weren't deaf. It was a muffled rumble coming from the distance. It was short and quick._

_Boom…_

_It was almost like giant footsteps. Some of the soldiers were confused, and others panicked. Amentaris contemplated one what it could've been._

_Boom…_

_Kanakana seemed confident in what was approaching. Obviously, it was a new tactic that he was introducing to them…but what? He remained still…completely still. What was it? What approached with such a heavy step?_

_Boom…_

_Then it hit him. Could it be? Impossible! Only legends tell of such things! However…it would be a logical explanation. It had to be! There was no other possible thing! They were doomed…there was no victory. He had to fight them, though. They were going down with nobility!_

_Boom…_

"_Iron Knuckles!" screamed Amentaris. "Reform the ranks! Prepare for the battle of your lives!"

* * *

_

"What are you…?"

Barinade was unlike any foe Link had ever faced. If its looks were so abstract, then Link assumed that it would be unpredictable in combat. This battle was going to be painful, and it wasn't going to be easy to bring this thing down; he knew that for sure. He looked up at the six huge tentacles sucking the life out of Jabu-Jabu. Perhaps that's where Barinade got its power? There was only one way to find out. He had to remove the creature from Jabu-Jabu, or he was surely going to die. But how?

Just then, it hit him. He quickly grabbed his boomerang and drew it back. He looked at the tentacle closest to him, and squinted. He looked it carefully; the way it swayed, the way it absorbed the life from the ceiling. He bit his lip as he began to breathe hard. Barinade was becoming so charged with electricity, he could even see it flow though the Bari latched on to its body. Link shook his head, and threw the boomerang at the pulsing, disgusting tentacle. It spun so fast, Link could hear it slicing the humid air as it travelled incredibly fast towards his enemy. Luckily it made full contact with the tentacle, and sliced it in two. One half fell limp on Barinade's body, the other was still attached the ceiling, but didn't appear to be alive anymore.

Barinade made somewhat of a shrieking sound as green blood poured out of its wound. It built up its rage, and electricity, powered by the Bari, travelled up its body and down the tentacles that weren't attached to the ceiling.

"Link!" cried Navi. "Move! Move!"

Now realizing what was happening, Link sprinted towards the right. The electricity flowing towards the tips of the tentacles finally reached their destination, and three giant bolts of lightning flew in Link's direction. He dove and rolled in a courageous attempt to dodge them, but only made it by less than an inch on the last electric blast. The lightning slammed into the wall, making an ear-piercing crackle. Link scurried to his feet, only to notice his boomerang flying back to where he threw it. He didn't want to run back and get it, so he forced himself to run in Barinade's direction in order to jump and catch it.

Breathing extremely hard, he found himself face-to-face with his foe. He could hear Ruto scream in the background as Link looked up at Barinade towering over him. The Bari protecting it began to pulse violently, eager to attack their puny enemy. Barinade kept them close, nonetheless; he needed protection for the time being. Instead, it slowly raised its charged tentacles, and gradually pointed them in Link's direction. Link could once again see them charge.

"What are you waiting for!" screamed Navi. "Attack it! Now!"

Suddenly realising he still had his boomerang in hand, he frantically whipped the boomerang at the nearest tentacle attached to the ceiling. Again, full contact was made with the repulsive appendage, and it was cut in half. Barinade shrieked again as green blood spewed everywhere. Link wasted no time in regaining his distance from the beast; he spun around and sprinted, not forgetting to catch his boomerang. It was quite an amazing invention! Green blood rained down on Link, but he ignored it; the last thing he needed to worry about was getting dirty.

Fully enraged, Barinade once again drew up energy. Seeing this, Link once again dashed as fast as he could around the creature as it got ready to attack, and this time, Link thought, Barinade was ready to go for the kill. Baring his teeth as he tried to move even faster, Link occasionally looked at his enemy to see what it was doing. Every time he looked however, Barinade was still charging up the next blow. The electricity seemed to be reaching the ends of the tentacles once again, so Link had to act fast. The ends of the tentacles flashed a blinding white light, signalling that they were about to fire once again. Link drove his body forward and dove. While he was in the air, he took a chance and just threw the boomerang in the general direction of the last tentacle. He turned his head just when he saw the lightning fly out of the tentacles directly towards him. He rolled to get a little bit of distance from the electricity. However, this time he got a taste of it. Once the lightning slammed into the wall, some of the excess charge managed to make its way to Link's boot, and travelled quickly up his leg and through the rest of his body. He jerked as the electricity took hold of his body, controlling him. He thought he was dead…the electricity would surely kill him. However, suddenly, it was gone. How did the electricity escape from his body? He looked to his side, and saw Ruto, placing the Sacred Stone on Link's back. Was she using its special power or something?

"Ruto? What?" stuttered Link as he began to realise what was going on.

"Get up!" she yelled as she began to tug his arm. Trying to fight of the remaining pain throughout his entire body, Link slowly got to his feet, staggering a bit.

"You helped me," said Ruto. "It's time for me to return the favour! Here, take it, just for now!" She handed him the Sacred Stone.

"Ruto…why?"

"You won't be stuck in electric currents if it is in contact with your body. Now go! Go!"

Link looked back to Barinade to see that his last shot actually did make contact with the last tentacle. Blood just stopped pouring out of it, and Link's boomerang was returning to him. Link snatched it out of the air, now realising how sticky with green blood it was. However, he couldn't help but fell a sense of triumph as he looked at Barinade without its power source. It thrashed around, trying to find another way of getting electricity to once again flow through its remaining tentacles, but was unsuccessful. It hissed and gurgled madly as its anger grew intensely. Link did not celebrate to early…it must've had something up its sleeve.

Link soon found out that he was not wrong. With a screech, it let a giant bolt of electricity flow through it, letting the top row of Bari loose. They orbited Barinade, still latched onto the bolts of lightning that attracted them to it in the first place. This revealed Barinade's revolting red fleshy area that it relied on the Bari to protect.

"Ruto, be careful. They want you more than me, got it?" Link said, getting ready to move.

"Right! Give him hell, Link!" said Ruto as she scurried off.

"Heh…" Link muttered. "Who knew that a princess would have such a smart mouth…?"

"Link! Look out!" screamed Navi.

Link looked to his left to see a Bari being swung right toward him. He gasped and ducked just in time for the jellyfish to fly right over him. When he stood up, however, he only had to dodge another. He ran forward, every so often stopping to let a Bari pass by. It seemed as if Barinade was using them as arms, swinging them around to try and knock him about.

"Come on, Link!" encouraged Navi. "We've been in tighter spots than this!"

"There has to be a weak point!" exclaimed Link. "There always is!"

That's when it hit him. Why was Barinade so protective of the large, fleshy area that made up the majority of its body? Why would only release the Bari as a last resort? He figured it out. He had to go for that red, fleshy area if he wanted to kill it.

"Look out!" Navi yelled.

Link was concentrating so much on how to kill the thing, he forgot about the electrified Bari flying around the place, all being swung in his direction. He dove to evade the one Navi warned him about, but was now trying to think of a way he can kill Barinade without hurting himself. The gut-wrenching entity seemed so charged with electricity, if Link touched it, even the Sacred Stone of Water could not keep him alive.

Well, since the only way to kill a Biri without getting shocked would be to use a projectile weapon, like his boomerang, could it be the same thing with Barinade? Link decided to take a chance. After getting out of the way of a few hostile Bari, Link went right for the big guy himself. He managed to find a big enough gap in the Bari's path, and used it to throw the boomerang as hard as he could. One of the blades on the boomerang struck right into Barinade's soft spot. It shrieked as more blood came out of its body. It was loosing so much blood, but it still wasn't dying? What kind of a creature was this? However, on the positive side, since Barinade supposedly lost its concentration, the Bari were freed from its electric grip. Barinade waved around uneasily, probably stunned by the blow Link just dealt. It didn't look like its wound was fatal, however.

Once the Bari were free, Link expected them to rush him, but instead, they all began to drift in the other direction…towards Ruto! She screamed as the Bari began to float faster towards her. Link had to do something, or she would surely be slaughtered. He saw the boomerang sticking out of Barinade, and that was the only way to get rid of the Bari. Link swallowed his pride, and raced towards his enemy. As he ran, he noticed that there wasn't any visible charge in Barinade's body, so he could only pray to the gods that it was safe to yank it out. He ran up to Barinade's crippled body, gripped the boomerang, and wrenched it free from its flesh. Link felt like collapsing with relief when he found himself unharmed, but it must've been the green blood splattering in his face that made him realise that the battle was far from over.

He turned over to Ruto's position to see that the Bari were beginning to surround her, ready to shock her to death at any moment. Luckily, they were all close together, so Link could think up of a plan quite quickly. He took little time to aim carefully, drew back his boomerang, and threw it in a different way than before. He let his arm remain straight, and swung it horizontally across the side of his body, releasing it just before his hand crossed over the first Bari. He watched the boomerang twirl towards the left; just the way he wanted it to. However, once it got a certain distance away from him, the way he threw it came into effect, and it began to curve towards the right. Link pumped a fist as the boomerang went right through the first Bari, and then through the next. It traveled through the body of that one, and then through the other, and the other, and the other. Link scored a quintuple kill! The Bari jolted and made high pitched squeals as transparent goo oozed out of their wounds. They all flopped to the floor, and began to melt and steam, just as the Biri Link killed earlier did. Link raised his right hand, and the boomerang slapped back into his palm. He sneered as he watched half of Barinade's protective soldiers melt away into nothing.

"Link! Move!" screamed Navi. Link turned around to see that Barinade was beginning to stabilize himself. Link looked at the wound he had inflicted on it earlier with his boomerang, and saw that it had stopped bleeding. Dry blood was gathered around the edges of the gaping hole, but suddenly, Link began to notice that it was slowly crumbling away as what was apparently skin, began to rapidly close. Link couldn't believe what he was seeing: Barinade was healing itself at a fantastic speed! For an unknown reason, something told Link to look at the floor. At the base of the anemone, where all of its slimy tentacles pierced into Jabu-Jabu's flesh, Link noticed that Barinade was sucking in more amounts of energy than usual. So, that's how it managed to keep itself alive: by feeding off of Jabu-Jabu. If Link was going to kill this thing and get out of here alive, he was going to have to cut off its power source. He had already got one: the three large tentacles on the top, so now he had to cut these.

He saw Barinade's attacking tentacles regain composure, and now they feverishly scanned the room for living targets. Link knew if he kept Barinade alive for much longer, it would target and surely kill Ruto. He was not about to let that happen; if Link thought about it hard enough, Princess Ruto was his friend, and he wasn't going to let another innocent die because of Ganondorf. Link thought that Barinade had nothing to do with Ganondorf, but only now did he realize his influence on Jabu-Jabu's health. Since Ganondorf's evil caused nightmares to those sensitive to it, Jabu-Jabu got sick instead, and now the Zora princess was in danger, and Link was not going to let her or Jabu-Jabu suffer the same fate as the Deku Tree.

Link withdrew his boomerang, and without even thinking twice, threw it as hard as he could towards the dozens of sickening tentacles. It snapped right through all of them in one deadly blow. Only four or five of them remained. Barinade screeched and tilted side to side violently, its three remaining major tentacles flailing uncontrollably as it felt its limbs being ripped from its body. The boomerang, as magical as it was, did not lose any momentum when Link cut the tentacles, so it returned to Link's outstretched hand, like a child that had just returned to its parent. Link bit his lip and threw the boomerang again. He cut two of the four remaining tiny tentacles, and it sounded as if Barinade could not take any more agony. Blood spewed out of all the tentacles Link had cut, creating a giant pool beneath the revolting creature. The blood slowly came out less frequently as the remaining two pulsed bright yellow, sucking in as much energy as the could just to keep Barinade alive. Barinade screeched even louder than before, hurting Link's ears. If its electrical body didn't kill Link, the infernal noise it made would. Link was going to finish this, once and for all. The boomerang again returned to its master, and bearing his teeth, Link drew it back one last time at the remaining two. Both of them snapped, and not only green blood came out, but the overloaded electricity Barinade was sucking up as well.

It traveled up Barinade's body, and eventually passed over the remaining Bari latched onto its soft spot. The Bari conducted the incredible amount of energy, and they all began to throb wildly as their bodies began to get overloaded. One by one, the Bari exploded, like popping zits on someone's face. Transparent goo flew everywhere, and even some got on Link as well. The last Bari was now gone, and Barinade was more vulnerable than ever. However, when Link thought it was going to topple over because of imbalance, he saw something quite unusual.

Barinade began to float off the ground, fueled by the very power that the juiced up Bari left when they died on its body. Almost drenched in pure energy, Barinade managed to get itself levitating at least five feet in the air, hovering manically over Link's head. Link was horrified once he began to notice the majority of this energy traveling up its upper tentacles, ready to fire at Link. Link knew that without its power source, Barinade would surely die. However, it looked pretty determined to take him down with it. The tentacles fixed themselves in Link's direction, and Link could barely see the energy flaring out of them as it traveled toward their tips. Link had to do something…he had to finish it off before it could fire.

Then, it hit him so suddenly that he almost forgot what it was. He put his boomerang back onto his belt, and then drew his sword. He aimed carefully, trying not to let the tentacles distract him, and literally threw the blade towards Barinade's side. The blade was pointed forward perfectly, and it barely scraped the creature's side, creating a giant gash roughly three feet wide. Link's sword landed somewhere behind Barinade as a giant shriek of agony filled the room. Blood poured out of the wound, and since the pain was so sudden for the creature, all of its tentacles reared up just as the energy shot out of them. The energy slammed into the ceiling, and spread across its entire area. It screamed and sizzled as it spread to the sides of the room, and then disappeared. Crackling and smoking, Barinade still floated there but ceased to move. It was almost blackened in a way since the energy managed to find its way into the giant wound Link created and electrocuted it from the inside out. Eventually, it fell, and slammed down hard on its side, shaking the ground. It remained there, and grew quiet, not even twitching.

Barinade was dead.


	18. The Light is Extinguished

18

_The Light is Extinguished_

_Nothing had changed in the past few minutes. Amentaris was looking at the ominous hill for what seemed like hours and still, the same occasional boom of the footsteps of their next enemy, and probably their last. Fortunately, this gave the remnants of the Hylian resistance to regroup themselves into an organized formation. Amentaris had to quickly promote some of the privates to replace the ranks of some of their fallen officers in order for their remaining strength to be fortified. Amentaris did not see the need in mounting himself now, since he was surely going to die. Iron Knuckles have not been seen in combat in hundreds of years, so he only assumed all of those years were spent training themselves, since they were rumoured to be immune to death when it came to age or disease (even so, they were pretty much impossible to kill forcefully). The way Amentaris thought about it, it seemed as if the Iron Knuckles had foreseen this besiegement all those many years ago, and knew that they were going to be involved, so they prepared themselves for it. Never did Amentaris anticipate facing even one, let alone what sounded like many. He could feel his soldiers' fear flowing throughout the ground he stood upon, weakening its stability. Amentaris' feet sunk slightly into the mud that the rain created, but he did not care._

_He looked up at Kanakana, flying menacingly over the ground in which the enemy trampled under their immense weight. Amentaris could hit him from here, if he simply snatched on of the archer's weapons and fired. He was perfectly in range, and had nothing to defend himself from an arrow flying at a high velocity. However, when he looked at him, Amentaris' heart always mysteriously went cold, for reasons even he could not understand. He did not fear him as much as other things, but there was something about him that just made his chest tighten. From where he was standing, it looked as if he was always staring at him through the indestructible steel of his mask. His invisible glare always filled the victim with the same emotions of emptiness as Kanakana felt every minute he lived. An undetectable beam of darkness always shot out of where he looked, and affected everything it was cast over. The thing was no one really knew what it was that was making them feel distressed unless they knew of Kanakana's influence over people's emotions with a simple glance. Amentaris knew that Kanakana was spying on him, watching his every movement. It also felt like he was reading his mind, knowing what Amentaris was considering. He would surely spot an attack made towards him if Amentaris tried to pull a fast one. Knowing the powers of the deceased Shiekah tribe, he could even catch the arrow in mid-air, and throw it back at Amentaris in an ironic twist of fate. General Amentaris did not want to die that way, so he remained where he was, and tried his best to ignore his thoughts on killing Kanakana._

_However, that didn't take long, since he began to see heads emerge over the hill. They moved ever so slowly, creeping over the hill like snails sliding over to the other side of a leaf. If Amentaris made a good estimate, there were about a hundred of them. A hundred Iron Knuckles…he never thought it would end this way. Their crashing footsteps were louder than ever as they crawled over the mound. The sound of their pure power rang throughout the battlefield, and shook the bodies of the fallen scattered throughout. Now, the Hylian army shook in their boots as the Iron Knuckles now revealed themselves fully. Giants of might, almost made of armour, wielding axes with blades almost as big as boulders, they took their steps in absolute equilibrium. One of them roared out some kind of phrase in an ancient tongue, and the rest of them responded in an answering phrase, supposedly in the same language. Their voices were as deep and monstrous as an avalanche of boulders tumbling down the slopes of Death Mountain. Just before they began to walk downhill, they stopped. They simply stood there, massive axes held horizontally at waist level. The place was so silent that moment, the wind seemed to had stopped, and the rain had become so light that the drops of water made no sound when they impacted the ground. Like a wall of steel, the Iron Knuckles stared down their enemy, gripping their weapons tight. Amentaris could hear his soldiers swallowing as they stared back at their superior opposition. Amentaris did not stare at them, however; he stared at Kanakana. He could somehow sense Kanakana's amusement as he saw the Hylians tremble before his power. Amentaris could only hope that after this, Kanakana would meet a more powerful enemy than what he was facing right now…eventually._

_They Hylian army almost flinched as every second Iron Knuckle raised its axe. They held them vertically over their heads in one hand, and held them there. One of them made a deep war cry, and the ones who weren't holding up their axes charged at full speed, roaring like primitive beasts. The others slammed their axes into the ground at such a speed that they literally launched themselves dozens of feet into the air, and in the direction of the Hylian army. The Hylians began to panic as fifty airborne Iron Knuckles began to plummet towards the centre of their ranks, and another fifty flew down the hillside towards the frontlines. Amentaris bit his lip as both divisions came dangerously close to their blockade. He could barely even watch as the first Iron Knuckle fell from the sky and literally crushed a soldier under its immense weight. The soldiers around it attempted courageously to bring it down, but their weapons merely bounced off its thick armour. It began to viciously hack at its surrounding enemies, sending their bodies either in pieces or as a whole flying at least ten feet before slamming into the ground or other soldiers. The Iron Knuckles began to drop into the middle of the army as fast as the rain did, sending bodies flying all over the place. The charging Iron Knuckles smashed right through the front lines, sending more bodies up skyward. They trampled almost every soldier that tried to stop them._

_Amentaris looked to his left to see a soldier run towards an Iron Knuckle waiting for him. When he was about to strike it, his face met its steel boot, and the Iron Knuckle put all of its weight on it, managing to make him fall onto his back and getting his helmet and head crushed. The Iron Knuckle then unnecessarily took a golf swing at the soldier's fallen body, slicing it vertically in half. Amentaris gagged at the grisly sight. He then saw another Iron Knuckle catch a soldier on its axe, and then fling it around like it was doing a Hammer Toss. It managed to club ten soldiers with its weapon before the soldier's body flew off of it and knocked down another dozen soldiers, who only met the blades of two Iron Knuckle's axes. Everywhere Amentaris looked, he saw Iron Knuckles tossing and throwing his men as if they were rag dolls. One managed to grab a soldier by the leg and throw him into his own spear. Blood rained down from the heavens, so only half of the rain was in fact, water. Amentaris was now standing in the drained life of his men, but was now too nervous to face these things. He knew that his men were going to die, but not in such brutal and merciless ways. Now he could see how fast his soldiers fell. In a matter of less than a minute, his three hundred men were now approaching zero. Now for every solder, there were about three Iron Knuckles attacking them. Now they stood absolutely no chance. Amentaris could only watch and maybe even shed a tear as he watch the last of his men die horribly at the hands of the enemy. They cruelly hacked and slashed the last of Amentaris' men, some of them even screaming before falling silent. The Iron Knuckles were as covered in blood as the corpses scattered throughout. As Amentaris continued to look around, he realised he could no longer find another one of his own. He found one, however, cowering before five Iron Knuckles. He was the last of the army, now facing death. It looked like he was begging for mercy, for he was on his knees, weapon dropped. Either the Iron Knuckles didn't understand him, or they simply did not care. One of them mercilessly swung its axe with one hand, and beheaded the poor soldier instantly. In a sickening fashion, the Iron Knuckles began to hack at his headless corpse, until nothing remained._

_That was it; every last solder except for Amentaris was dead. Not one Iron Knuckle had fallen, and barely any had even a scratch on their armour. Amentaris could feel the tears flowing down the sides of his face. He had not let his eyes even water since he was twelve, but this was something he had never faced. Everyone he knew, everyone he worked with; the soldiers, the new recruits, the officers, even his left and right hand men…all gone…_

_He stood there, alone, facing an invincible enemy with units he did not know how to kill. They were all staring at him. Most of them were far away, but some were threateningly close. They looked at him: the leader of their enemy, with such confidence that it made Amentaris sweat profusely. His heart raced as they slowly began to approach him. They walked ever so slowly towards him, as if they wanted to get a good look at his face before they made a casserole out of it. Amentaris was too afraid to move against such foes. Even the ones way far back were moving just as slowly as the closer ones. Amentaris did not know what they were planning, but it was anything but good._

_Amentaris couldn't explain it, but something was telling him that if he stood there he would surely die as a coward. He had to do something; he vowed to himself many times before and during the battle that he and his army were going to die courageously and with honour. His army had already done that, and now it was Amentaris' turn. He sighed deeply, knowing that this was most definitely the end of his life. He prayed that the citizens of Hyrule would be alright, and he was going to show these fiends that he will never go down without a fight._

_He hardened his pale eyes, and glared at the nearest Iron Knuckle, who seemed to be amused. Amentaris' hands found the grips of Lethe, and he slowly drew the twin swords from their sheaths. He bared his teeth as he purposely began to breathe hard, getting his adrenaline flowing. He eyed the Iron Knuckle closely, and observed that it wasn't changing its position at all. Amentaris shook his head at how stupid this action was going to be, screamed, and charged. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, swords shining in what little light was seeping through the thick clouds overhead. He saw the Iron Knuckle raise its axe, and Amentaris got ready. When he got within range of the fiend, it swung its axe diagonally upward. In a quick reaction that Amentaris did not know how he pulled off, he managed to get past the blade and grab onto the shaft. The Iron Knuckle's huge strength lifted Amentaris upwards in its follow-through, and once it reached its peak, Amentaris let go and plummeted, swords pointed downward. It seemed as if the Iron Knuckle did not see where Amentaris went, as it was looking around as Amentaris fell. However, Amentaris was pretty sure it found him when his twin blades pierced right through its helmet. Amentaris' eyes widened as he saw Lethe glow a blood-red colour, like magical fire escaping from what was sticking out of the Iron Knuckle's head. It looked like it had some kind of effect on the Iron Knuckle, since the same colour was emerging brightly out of the holes in its face mask. Amentaris then withdrew his swords from the Iron Knuckle's head, flipped off of it, and landed on the ground. He looked up to see that the Iron Knuckle had dropped its axe, and was looking at its hands. It was trembling as the red light continued to come out of its mask, and now some parts of its armour. Soon, Amentaris began to see flames coming out of its mask and the small gaps in its chain mail. The Iron Knuckle began to thrash around wildly as it roared in agony. The flames began to flow out it rapidly, and Amentaris noticed that all the other Iron Knuckles had stopped advancing, and were looking in awe at their comrade. It started stumble around uncontrollably as the flames overtook it._

_No one had ever heard an Iron Knuckle scream. During the thousands of years of their existence, not one had been killed, and not one had screamed in agony. Amentaris was the first to inflict such damage to one…did it have anything to do with his weapon? It glowed when it made contact, so that could've been why it managed to pierce the steel and set the warrior on fire._

_It now held its head as it fell to its knees, powerless to stand under such pain. Its hands were now in front of its face, fingers curled and shaking like mad as the flames burned so high they licked its faceplate. One more climatic scream, and the flames ceased. What was left was the Iron Knuckle frozen in position, with smoke billowing out of its mask. The steel clicked as it adjusted to the sudden temperature change, making the only sound amidst the dead silence. The Iron Knuckle's armour seemingly crumbled, each piece clunking to the ground, like a bunch of stacked cans collapsing. When Amentaris expected to see what the Iron Knuckle actually looked like underneath its armour, he found that there was nothing at all below the steel. It gave the impression that the Iron Knuckle was made of the armour, but Amentaris knew that the fire must've consumed its body from the inside, and the armour merely fell because there was nothing supporting it. Now, it was just a heap of metal on the ground, red hot and still smoking._

_Amentaris slowly looked up at the rest of them, dumbfounded at what just happened. Amentaris believed that they were just as shocked as he was at what just happened. He flinched when he saw one of them raise its axe into the air and roar wildly. All the others did the same, and in their blind rage, charged towards the murderer of their comrade. Now Amentaris knew this was definitely the end. He may have killed one, but the others were most likely not going to underestimate him, seeing what he just accomplished. The ground shook chaotically as they pounded their steel feet into the ground. Amentaris stood there, swords at the ready, waiting to find an opening to make an attempt to bring at least another one down before he got sliced in half. As they drew in close, and Amentaris began to grow afraid, they suddenly stopped running. There was a bright white flash, and the Iron Knuckles' reaction was similar to a dog that ran the range of its leash and snapped back. They stumbled back as if they were on invisible leashes, and then simply stood up straight, axes across the waists. Amentaris' eyes narrowed as he observed what was happening. Soon, he began to feel an even more evil presence around him. The are he was standing in began to slowly darken, and the air died abruptly. It didn't take him long to find out what this was._

_Kanakana emerged from behind one of the Iron Knuckles. He walked through the mud as if it were air, with his leather trench coat almost dragging on the ground. He walked even slower than the Iron Knuckles did, and was a lot better in staring the general down. His elbow blades were in his hands, black, with red inscriptions of some ancient language. He stopped around six feet away from the general, and just looked at him. His elbows were bent slightly, ready for any attack Amentaris threw at him._

_It was obvious what he wanted.

* * *

_

Link approached Ruto, who was still in the corner of the room. She seemed pretty traumatised by the whole ordeal.

"Hey," said Link softly. "Are you alright?"

Ruto looked back up at him with her big, sparkling eyes. "I…I think so…"

Link grabbed her arm and helped her up. She stumbled a bit, but Link managed to balance her by putting his hand on her back and the other on her stomach. She got her balance, and Link let go. She slowly turned towards him, and looked at him with her mauve eyes. In a sudden outburst, she quickly put her arms around him for reasons Link knew none of. Was she hugging him for support, or thanks? Or…no, it couldn't be.

"I don't know about you," said Link as he put his hands on her shoulders, for some reason making her let go. "But I think it's time we get out of here."

Ruto smiled and nodded, and Link turned around to fetch his sword before they began their journey out. Suddenly, he turned around again.

"Oh, here's your stone back…" he mumbled as he handed back the Zora's Sapphire.

"Thank you," she whispered as Link turned around again.

He saw his sword lying near Barinade's dead carcass. It was still smoking from the giant rush of electricity that went through its body just before it died. Link jogged a little bit as he approached his weapon. As he got closer, he noticed that it was soaked in Barinade's infamous green blood. He was now somewhat stepping in it, for it was still leaking out of the giant gash in its body. The way it sounded when Link stepped through it almost made him gag. He eventually reached his sword, and reached down to retrieve it.

"Be careful," Navi whispered. "I don't think Barinade's body is very stable…"

"What do you mean?" asked Link as he picked up his sword and shook off as much blood as possible. "…unstable?"

Suddenly, Link could hear bubbling noises to his left. He spun around to see Barinade's body. Its fleshy skin was now bubbling from the inside out, and it was bulging in certain areas. It now was beginning to swell up dramatically. It didn't take Link long to figure out what was about to happen. He quickly turned and ran in Ruto's direction, trying to get as far away from Barinade's body as possible.

"Ruto!" he yelled. "Look out!"

"What!"

When the sounds coming from Barinade got loud enough, by instinct Link did a dramatic dive to get near where Ruto was.

BLOOSH!

Barinade's body literally exploded, sending neon green slime everywhere, covering Link and Ruto in a layer of horribly smelling guts. Somehow, Navi managed to get past the flying guts. Lucky for her, she needed her wings dry in order to fly. Trying not to throw up, Link wiped the green goo off his face, and tried to find Ruto.

"Ruto?" he called out. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"Ugh…gross…" mumbled a voice to his right.

Link turned to see Ruto wiping some of the green gunk off of her face. Once she could see, she turned to Link to see him equally as covered in gloop. As they looked at each other for a moment or two, they couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

_Not waiting for the general to attack him any longer, Kanakana decided he was going to do it himself. He leapt up and flew forward, spinning like a human drill with his elbow blades forward. Amentaris managed to deflect his blades and kick him upward. Kanakana ignored the pain in his gut and made the same manoeuvre, but this time downward. He flew towards the feeble general below, who was just noticing what he was doing. In a desperate scramble, Amentaris managed to dodge his attack. If Kanakana hit the ground while doing this Shiekah-orientated technique, he knew he would drill right through the ground, so he straightened up and landed on his feet. He put his elbow blades up near his neck in a confusing fashion. The fool Amentaris also had his swords at the ready. They both paced around in a circle, never taking their eyes off of each other. Amentaris watched him closely with his grey eyes, but he did not intimidate Kanakana, and he could feel the generals fear flowing through him, making him stronger. In a imprudent attempt, Amentaris charged and tried to take a swing at Kanakana. He immediately deflected it with a quick counter-swing with his left hand, and it was so quick that Amentaris' sword bounced back, and he stumbled a bit. As Kanakana re-established his fighting position, Amentaris wasted no time in trying to attack him with two swords. Kanakana shook his head at the general's idiotic attempts to bring him down. Kanakana deflected both shots with his elbow blades simultaneously, and while Amentaris stumbled back once more, Kanakana used this time window to give him a roundhouse kick to the side of his head. Amentaris flew a few feet before biting the dust, but did not drop his weapons, which impressed Kanakana. He stood there waiting to see what Amentaris would do next. With a large struggle, the Hylian general managed to get himself off of the ground, and stagger back once he was back on two feet again. In an impressive tactic, Amentaris caught Kanakana by surprise, and threw both of his swords at him. He managed to repel both of them in a quick reaction, only to see the general charging at him, unarmed. He dove and tackled Kanakana, making them roll a few times. Before he would let Amentaris on top of him, Kanakana kicked Amentaris off of him, making him slam onto his back. Before he could get up, Kanakana was determined to finish him off quickly. He leaped an incredible distance, and landed on the general. With the blunt ends of his weapons, he beat on the general's head repeatedly. With every blow, he could feel the Hylians growing weaker. He beat on him until Amentaris was on the verge on unconsciousness. When Amentaris was dazed and confused, Kanakana got up, withdrew his weapons back up his sleeves, and walked over to the generals cursed weapons. He picked up one, and then turned around to pick up the other. He walked back up to the general, and in a quick move, put them back into their sheaths. It was a rule the Master Shiekah always taught him._

_Kanakana then reached down and grabbed Amentaris by his hair. He lifted him up into a sitting position. He was still conscious, but was fading. His head bobble this way and that as Kanakana gripped his head. He then took one of his elbow blades and placed it near the general's throat._

"_Who is this under my knife!" yelled Kanakana to the Iron Knuckles surrounding them. "Let it be known throughout the lands…" he continued. "That General Amentaris has failed to defend the city! He shall never again relish the glory he once had!"_

_The Iron Knuckles banged their weapons with their fists, creating a large rumble._

"_And as for you, General," said Kanakana to Amentaris. "Since I have nothing but respect for you, I will not kill you."_

_A series of groans came out of Amentaris, probably due to confusion but the inability to express it._

_Kanakana chuckled. "However, I have thought of better idea. As Hyrule's new major general, I hereby banish you from the city! Forever shall you walk the lands an outcast!"_

_The Iron Knuckles banged their weapons even louder as Kanakana lifted the general above his head._

"_Now…" said Kanakana darkly. "Leave this place and die in whatever way seems best to you!"_

_Kanakana then drew back his arm and threw the general. His massive strength sent the general soaring over the city, and he predicted that he would land somewhere in Hyrule field. Amentaris shrunk as he began to fly out of sight. He was soon a small dot, barely even noticeable to the eye, and was gone._

_The army cheered in victory. With the Hylian General gone, there would be nothing to stop them in claiming this land as their own. It was done…they had won._

"_Now, the golden age of Hyrule begins! Hylians and all other races will now live happily amongst monsters and Gerudos alike!"_

_The army cheered even louder._

"_I will call in the rest of the army! Seven thousand troops will be more than enough to invade the city. I want you to move out in patrols; seven standard units with one Iron Knuckle!"_

_Kanakana then made a strange noise, indescribable in words. He began to see the many heads of the majority of the army who didn't even fight emerge from over the hill._

"_Go!" yelled Kanakana. "Drive the Hylians out of the city, for it will now be our military stronghold! There's going to be on hell of a party after this!"

* * *

_

"What's that? Do you hear something?"

"Yeah…I think I do…"

Link and Ruto were still sitting in the room where they met Barinade. They were still covered in its remains, and for some reason it still hadn't lost its humour. They could hear a strange noise now, and Link couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. It sounded like a raging river, growing louder and louder.

"Navi, what do you think that is?"

"I don't know…" Navi mumbled. "It sounds like a river, doesn't it? Is it flowing water, perhaps?"

"Flowing water…" Link pondered. "Hm…it doest kind of sound like a river, but moving fast." Link turned to look at Ruto. She was looking down at the ground, thinking about something. "Ruto? Are you alright?" asked Link.

"Flowing water…" she murmured. "Moving fast…"

Ruto began to look somewhere behind Link, and her eyes widened. She quickly got up and ran past him. He turned around to see where she was running, and after a few slips in the slime, he saw that she was running for a large swelling area in the centre of the room.

"Ruto!" Link yelled. "Get away from there!"

"Get over here, Link!" she yelled back. "You have to trust me on this!"

"Wait…Ruto…but…I…?"

Link looked at Navi, but saw that she was also heading towards where Ruto stood.

"Hey! Navi!" Link called out, but she continued to flutter towards Ruto. Link gave up. "Oh…wait for me!"

He got up and began to run towards Ruto. He was careful not to slip as he approached her, but it was quite difficult not to.

"Hurry up!" said Ruto as the swelling area she was standing on continued to grow and bulge. Link crawled up the growing mound, and stood on top.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"Navi," said Ruto. "It would be smart to hold onto Link."

"What about hiding under his cap? That's what I usually do," she replied.

"That would work," said Ruto.

As Navi crawled under Link's cap, he couldn't help but feel confused as the large bubble they were standing on continued to grow. Before Link could say anything, Ruto outstretched her hand.

"Grab on," she said.

"What?"

"Trust me," Ruto insisted. "Take my word for it; I can swim better than you can. You'd better hang on to your cap, there."

Link grabbed her hand and held onto his hat.

"What…? What does swimming have to do with-"

SHOOOOOOM

Link had absolutely no idea what was going on, but from what he could tell, the bubble from where they were standing on had exploded, shooting gallons of water upward, sending Link and Ruto with it. It shot them up a hole in the ceiling, and they were now flying down a very narrow tunnel upwards. Link held onto Ruto for dear life as the water began to overtake them and send their heads under. Link hoped Navi was okay as he was totally submerged under the water. Ruto began swim gracefully upwards with the current, and Link could feel the force of her movement tugging on his arm as they shot up the narrow tunnel of flesh. Link closed his eyes because he had a hard time having his eyes open underwater, and held his breath for as long as he could. He only hoped that he could get out of here before he drowned. Since Ruto had gills and could breathe underwater, Link could only pray that she considered the fact that Link did not and hurry up. Link could feel his body collide with the walls every so often, but he simply bounced back into the center of the tunnel. His lungs began to hurt as they began to run out of oxygen. He urged Ruto to go faster by tugging on her arm a little bit. Miraculously, she got the message, and Link could feel her pull a lot stronger than before. They rushed further and further upwards, and Link could even feel the water going faster around him. Just when he was about to give up; just when he thought his lungs were going to explode, he found himself surrounded by air, and even more surprisingly, daylight.

Before opening his eyes, Link let his lungs have all the air they so desired. The pain disappeared as fast as Barinade's body exploded. He was wheezing as he realized that although he was surrounded by air and daylight, water was still impacting his back. Ruto had let go of his hand, and he could hear her laughing. He opened his eyes, and was delighted to see that he was no longer inside Jabu-Jabu, but back in Zora's fountain. Link and Ruto were bouncing on top of a large column of water coming out of Jabu-Jabu's blowhole! Once Link realised how high he was, he began to panic.

"Aah! Get me down!" he yelled. Ruto just continued to laugh as the water held them up. Soon, the giant pillar of water began to loose its strength, and Link and Ruto fell towards the pond below.

"Woo-hoo!" screamed Ruto as she dove into the water before Link.

"Aaaahh!" cried Link as he fell into the water back-first. He didn't like the fact of being surrounded by water again, so he desperately swam up to be able to breathe again. He reached the surface again, and took another deep breath of air to refill his lungs. He looked forward to be faced with a large branch of a tree leaning over the water. He quickly grabbed it with both of his hands and managed to hoist himself up. He mounted the branch, and began to catch his breath. Drops of water fell of his bangs as he looked down. He wiped his hands across his face to get rid of some water before looking up. However, the only thing he saw was Ruto's face an inch from him at the most, smiling friendlily, giggling slightly. Startled out of his mind, Link yelped and fell off the branch, right back into the water. Frustrated now, Link scrambled back up the surface of the water. He put one hand on the branch to keep himself above water. He saw Ruto dive off of the branch, making barely any splash at all. A moment passed, and then she made her appearance on the surface. She calmly swam towards him, still smiling. She got about three inches from him, and stopped.

"Hee hee…you were pretty cool back there," she commented.

"What?" said Link.

"The way you fought Barinade and all that; I was impressed."

"Really?" said Link, scratching his head, feeling flattered.

"Just a little!" said Ruto quickly. She splashed him playfully. "Well," she said. "Since you came down all by yourself to come and rescue me, I must say that I'm truly grateful."

"Well, you didn't seem that grateful when I first agreed to help you…" Link mumbled.

Ruto blushed. "Well, I'll make it up to you," she said with warm eyes. "What do you want? Tell me…anything."

Link's heart skipped a beat. Should he really ask for it? He didn't really know what to say without sounding greedy.

"Oh…" he mumbled. "Nothing, really…"

Ruto giggled. "Hee hee…don't be shy!"

She swam up close, making Link flinch.

"I know what you're thinking," she whispered. "The Zora's Sapphire was given to me by my mother when I was very young, and she told me only to give it to…a…special person."

"Ruto…I…" Link mumbled.

"Alright!" she exclaimed. "I'll give you my most treasured possession: Zora's Saphhire! I hope you can keep it as a token of my thanks!"

Ruto then took Link's hand and outstretched it. She then placed the Zora's Sapphire into his hand, and closed it.

"Keep it," she said warmly. "Who knows? It may come in…handy…"

"I'm sure it will," Link replied with a smile.

"Well, I'm assuming that you have a lot of adventuring to do now, am I wrong?" she said, looking away.

"Well, I'm sorry Ruto, but yes; I have to get going."

"Then I won't stop you," said Ruto as she climbed up the branch. She stood up on top of it, and put her hands behind her back. She stared at the horizon, the setting sun reflecting off her eyes.

"I do hope you visit soon, Link," she said softly. "We have to get married sooner or later, you know?"

"Yeah…I mean, wait…WHAT! Married!"

Ruto giggled as she turned her head back to him. "Oh, that's right…I forgot to tell you that my mother told me only to give the Zora's Sapphire to the man I will marry. You might even call it the Zora's Engagement Ring!"

"Ruto!" exclaimed Link. "You can't…I mean I can't…"

"I'll see you around, lover boy!" she laughed as she dove back into the water, and disappeared.

"Ruto!" screamed Link as he lost sight of her.

Married? Link couldn't marry her! They were two different species! His head began to hurt as he thought of him and Ruto as a couple.

"Navi!" he called out.

"Don't worry, Link," came Navi's muffled voice from underneath his cap. "We'll work out this ordeal later. The important thing is we rescued Princess Ruto and have the last stone! We have to get back to Princess Zelda before it's too late!"

"You're right," said Link. "I'll deal with this later…hey! It's Kaepora!"

Link saw the mighty owl soaring over Zora's fountain in a circle. It looked like he was looking for him.

"Kaepora! Down here!" called Link. Kaepora seemed to hear him; he turned his head in Link's direction and began to swoop down. He stopped short of Link's position and hovered there.

"Link! Did you get it? Did you get the stone?"

Link waved Zora's Sapphire around so Kaepora could see it.

"Well done!" he exclaimed. "This completes our preparations! Now, we must hurry! To Hyrule Castle!"

Kaepora Gaebora snatched Link out of the water like a bird catching a fish. Link felt extremely cold as the wind flew across his wet body. Making sure he did not drop the Sacred Stone of Water, he opened up the pouch where the other two were. He dropped it in, and when it made contact with them, the light was so huge that it literally made a beam of pure white light and shot out into the sky. In a scramble not to create any attention, Link pulled the string and sealed the three stones in the bag.

It was almost over.

* * *

_Zelda was curled up in the corner of the room in which she was trapped in. She had been in there for at least an hour now…at least she thought. She noticed that the clashing of metal had stopped from beyond the wall she was leaning on, so it could only mean that the battle was finally over, and the soldiers could rest in peace. This was anything but good news, though. She didn't even want to look outside to see all of the fallen. She knew that General Amentaris was dead, and she could help but weep. Amentaris was like a big brother to her. He was about as close to him as she was to her attendant, Impa. He somewhat found a liking to her ever since she was a child, and helped her grow up when her father was busy alongside with Impa. She gagged at the thoughts of what the enemy might have done to him. He was the leader of their opposition, after all. Monsters like that had no conscience, so it wasn't a far-fetched assumption that he wouldn't be pleasant to look at. She wiped a tear off of her cheek and continued to sit there quietly, trying not to remind a listening Ganondorf that he had unfinished business. She swallowed and looked over to Impa, lying on the ground. However, unless Zelda was mistaken, Impa was beginning to move…beginning to regain consciousness. Zelda quickly looked at the blocked door, thinking if Ganondorf was just passing by. She then decided to quickly but quietly sneak over to Impa's side._

_She carefully got up, but stayed crouching to reduce the sound she created. She cautiously snuck over to where Impa lay, every so often looking back at the blocked exit, looking for passing shadows. Her lip was curled the whole time as she stealthily crept over to her attendant, not even thinking about what might happen if she were caught. Luckily, she managed to get next to her without causing any attention to her knowledge. _

_Zelda knelt beside Impa, and slowly let her hand drop on her shoulder. Startling Zelda, Impa leaped up from where she sat, and in some technical Shiekah manoeuvre, managed to pin the Hylian princess onto the ground. Impa had her knife up to her throat, and was staring at her straight in the eye._

"_Impa! No!" Zelda screamed. "It's me! It's me! Don't kill me!"_

_Zelda braced herself for Impa to ignore her and just kill her on the spot, but Impa's eyes widened as she stared at her. It didn't take long for her to realize what she was doing, so she withdrew her knife and stood up. She turned around and paced guiltily._

"_My apologies, Princess. It was just instinct," she said embarrassedly._

"_It's okay," mumbled Zelda as she began to stand up. "Well, you were unconscious. I think I can understand. Do you remember anything?"_

_Impa crossed her arms, looking at the obstructed doorway. "I can remember lashing back out at Ganondorf from the pile of broken wood, but nothing else. I'm assuming that he gave me a good blow to the head?"_

"_Yes," Zelda replied uneasily. "A hard punch the side of the head from what I could see."_

"_Hm…it kind of feels like it," said Impa as she rubbed her cranium._

"_Well," sighed Zelda. "As you can see, we're kind of trapped. Ganondorf should be back any minute now."_

"_Not necessarily…" mumbled Impa as she carefully examined the debris. "Let me look at this for a minute. I'll see if it's possible if I can get it out of the way."_

_A moment passed. Impa watchfully scanned the fallen bricks obstructing their escape. Zelda sat there silently, watching Impa work._

_No matter how hard she tried to think of other things, her thoughts always found their place on Link's situation. She wondered if she was actually going to manage to meet up with him in time to give him the Ocarina of Time. As she thought about when she was talking to him before he left this morning, she remembered some of his words. She remembered exactly what he said when he was holding her hands, just before he left._

"_Don't worry," she recalled him saying, when his grip on her hands tightened. "If I'm not here, Impa will protect you. If anything happens, get out of the city. I will find you; I promise."_

_She sighed woefully as she thought about what he said. How was she even sure that he was alive?_

"_Do you think he's alive?" she asked Impa._

_Impa turned around briefly. "Who's alive?"_

"_Link; do you think he's okay?"_

_Impa shrugged and turned back to what she was doing. "I'm not entirely sure. Haven't you tried to contact him with your mind or something?"_

_Zelda bit her lip, and slowly glanced toward the open window. Only faint noises of many footsteps echoed into the room. "Too much…evil in the air…"_

_Impa turned her head. "Evil in the air?"_

"_Talking telepathically is a spiritual form of communication," Zelda explained. "Evil thoughts and presences tend to corrupt spiritual frequencies, so I would be unable to hear him."_

"_Oh," said Impa, continuing to look at the obstruction. "I never knew that."_

_Once they both fell silent once more, Zelda looked up hopelessly as she began to think about Link again. _

"_If you're in love with someone…" she remembered him saying back when she first showed him the secret balcony. When she asked him to continue, he said "Would you say that the couple would flow in each other's minds, every hour of the day?"_

_Zelda grinned. She found it ironic that a question that he had her answer was now bothering her as much as it bothered him._

"_Aha!" Impa exclaimed, making Zelda jump. "I can get rid of these bricks; they are aligned perfectly!"_

"_What?" asked Zelda as she slowly got up. "They're aligned perfectly?"_

_Impa responded by holding up a small pouch, once concealed in her belt. She shook it playfully as she showed it to Zelda._

"_This is a special powder developed by the Shiekah. Not much of it still exists, but I feel that there is no better time to use it than now. It is made out of ash from Death Mountain, Dinofos scales, and Moblin eye." Impa turned back to the bricks piled up on the floor. "It has a mysterious ability to dissolve rock and concrete."_

_Zelda's eyes widened. "The ability to dissolve rock and concrete? Why didn't you use it when Ganondorf attacked you?"_

_Impa pointed a finger at Zelda. "First of all, to clear things up, I attacked him after he insisted that I should've, and second, I said that this powder has the ability to melt rock and concrete, not human flesh."_

"_Oh…" said Zelda, shrinking._

"_Now," said Impa, focusing on where to apply the powder. "If you wouldn't mind, Princess, it wouldn't be unwise for you to keep clear."_

_Heading her attendant's words, Zelda backed up a few paces. She pressed her body against the rear wall, feeling the evil air seeping through the window. She watched intently as Impa slowly and cautiously opened the pouch containing the strange dust. She tenderly pulled the string, loosening the top of the fabric. Her eyes barely moved as she removed it from the bag. It soon broke free from the cloth, and Impa tossed it aside. She gradually loosened her fingers' grip on the top of the bag, opening it very slowly. She shook it slightly in order to keep it all at the bottom of the bag, Zelda supposed. Impa's red eyes turned to the obstruction. She turned her full body towards it, holding the pouch at chest level. She slowly walked close to it, extremely careful not to drop or spill the substance. She looked at it closely, determining where to apply the powder. Only a few moments passed when she outstretched her hand towards the bricks. Her hand shaking a little due to nervousness, she slowly tipped the bag over, letting its contents flow out little by little. The powder was black, with a few shiny grains revealing themselves occasionally. The powder poured over the rock like water, and was making contact with almost every stone._

_The pouch then was completely emptied of its contents, and Impa hastily gained her distance. For a moment, nothing happened, and Zelda calmly watched, anticipating something unusual. She noticed the sand was moving in an unusual way; instead of continuing its journey towards the ground due to gravity, it flowed freely, this way and that, whether or not it was towards or away from the floor. She soon saw large amounts of steam rising from the sand as it moved as if it were alive. It billowed up to the ceiling, and began to spread out from there. In a very short time, it was already travelling out of the window. Zelda's eyes enlarged as she saw the pile of bricks, covered in the black sand, slowly shrink and grow flat. It shrunk like melting ice cream, only a lot faster. The powder began to spread itself onto the floor, and unfortunately began to eat through it as well. Within a few seconds, the obstruction was gone, and the hallway opposite Zelda was now clearly visible. Before Zelda could compliment on the quick mind of Impa, she soon felt her strong grip on her arm._

"_We have to get out of this room, now!" she yelled. "The sand eating through the floors of the castle will make this area unstable!"_

"_Huh?" Zelda blurted._

"_It's going to collapse!"_

"_It's gonna what!" she shrieked as Impa hurriedly tugged her forward. Zelda could feel the ground shake beneath her as the struggled to keep her balance as Impa dragged he forward to the revealed escape._

"_Get ready to jump!" ordered Impa as they approached the gap from the room to the hallway. Impa sprung off the edge, and Zelda screamed as she jumped as well, not daring letting go of Impa's arm._

_Loud crashing and screeching noises were heard behind her while she was airborne, and she didn't dare look back. Zelda's heart plummeted for miles once she came to realise that she wasn't going to make it. Impa successfully managed to get on the other side of the gap, but Zelda fell just short. She slid off of the edge and fell. Just before she plummeted to her doom, Impa managed to grab a hold of her arm with both hands, leaving Zelda dangling tens of feet off the ground. Zelda looked behind her in horror as she could now see Hyrule's horizon instead of the room she was just trapped in. She looked below her to see large amounts of bricks and other things crash towards the ground, shooting clouds of dust and debris into the air. She gasped when she realized how far from the ground she was. She desperately looked up at Impa, who was looking straight back at her._

"_Don't let go, Princess! Hang on!" she yelled as she began to pull her up from the drop. Zelda held on with all her might as she was slowly dragged upwards. Impa pulled on her arm like a rope, gradually getting her away from the fall. She was then able to get her legs onto the ledge, and roll safely onto the surface._

_She quickly hugged Impa, breathing hard with relief. Impa patted her back and rocked her a little bit. She let go of her and looked at her straight in the eyes._

"_Are you alright?" she asked concernedly._

"_Yes," Zelda gasped, catching her breath. "Yes, I'm fine."_

"_Good. Here, let me help you up."_

_Impa go up onto her feet, and offered Zelda her hand. Zelda grabbed it and was quickly on her feet once again._

"_Impa…" she mumbled. "Thank you…"_

"_Never mind that," Impa said as she looked around, and then put her hands on Zelda's shoulders. "Zelda, you have to get the ocarina out of the building, do you understand? We have to get out of here, and we're taking it with us; Ganondorf can't get to it!"_

_Zelda nodded, but then curled her lip. "But…only I can enter the sanctuary. I would have to go alone…"_

_Impa nodded compassionately. "I know, and if it will get the ocarina out of the building, then it has to be done, Zelda. I'm sorry."_

_Zelda looked away. "But…what if I run into trouble?"_

"_Before you get the ocarina," began Impa. "Try to avoid any hostiles you encounter; be stealthy. Look around every corner before you proceed! Then, once you have it and somehow you get yourself in a situation, just run. Run away, as fast as you can! I will be waiting for you in the stable with the fastest steed available. Meet me there once you have it, do you understand?"_

_Zelda nodded slowly._

"_Good," said Impa. "I wish you luck. May the gods be with you."_

_Impa then sped away in the opposite direction. Zelda outstretched a hand as Impa ran, as if she was trying to catch her; keep her close. However, Impa was around the corner within a matter of seconds with her Shiekah speed. Zelda bit her lip as she continued to look down the hall in which Impa left. She then turned to her right to look at the landscape of Hyrule. She looked over the vast plains of the West in which the enemy had marched. She could see dark smoke rising from the battlefield, in which she could not look directly at. Perhaps they were burning bodies, or lighting other things on fire…things for weapons, maybe? Zelda grinded her teeth as she thought of the poor souls of the city, oblivious to what was about to be bestowed upon them. She shook her head, getting those dreadful thoughts out of her mind._

_She then turned to the right once more to see the other hallway, leading towards the secret shrine within the castle walls, conveniently on the exact floor Zelda was on. She took in a deep breath and began to run in that direction. She barely had any energy left, but it was enough to keep her moving down the hallway. She quickly approached the first corner. She remembered Impa's words, in which she told her to always look around the corner before she sped down the corridor. Nodding her head as if she was listening to her right now, Zelda quickly drifted over the stone wall just before she reached the turn. She pressed herself against the wall, and with a little hesitation, peered around the bend. Her eyes scanned the dark corridor, searching for anything moving. The only thing that moved was the fire burning on top of the various torches. As Zelda understood more and more that there was nothing hostile ahead; at least not in this particular corridor, she gained more and more incentive to continue running._

_She then sighed again, and dashed around the corner. She sped down the hallway once more, the torches making whooshing sounds as she ran past each of them. As she ran into the darkness, she began to think of Link's possible situation out East. She remembered overhearing news that the Zora's guardian spirit, Lord Jabu-Jabu, had caught a mysterious disease a few days ago. The Zora's were unable to determine what the disease was or how Jabu-Jabu caught it, but all they knew was if it continued, Jabu-Jabu would surely die. Zelda couldn't stand another guardian spirit, after the Great Deku Tree, fall to Ganondorf's evil will. One was more than enough to alter Hyrule's future. If the death of the Deku Tree was enough to distort the lives of the Kokiri, then the death of Jabu-Jabu would have just the same effect on the Zoras. Zelda cringed at the thought. Two races' ways of life was enough to flip Hyrule upside down, even if they were able to prevent Ganondorf's rise to power._

_Zelda found herself approaching the next corner. She did the same thing, sliding against the wall, and peered around the corner, with a little more confidence than last time. She swiftly confirmed that there was nothing evil lurking in this hallway, so she hastily proceeded. The secret entrance to the sanctuary was in this hallway, so Zelda carefully scanned the wall to her right, but occasionally looked forward to spot anyone coming. Luckily, no one showed themselves. Zelda began to smile as she reached her destination. She saw the small imprint on the wall: a perfectly circular indent on the wall, with an inscription of the Triforce in the middle of it. Zelda knew that this indent acted as a keyhole, and only she had the key. The gate was also protected by an ancient spell, making it only possible for the Royal Family to open it, as long as there were no unrelated guests._

_Zelda began to reach towards the insignia on her headdress, which also bared the symbol of the Triforce. This, in fact, was actually the key to the sanctuary. She fiddled with it, slowly unfastening it. It then clicked once it was twisted enough, and Zelda eased it off of the fabric. She looked at it briefly, and then glanced at the insertion point. She curled her lips, and slowly outstretched her arm and leisurely slid it into the hole. She let go of it and simply stared at it, infrequently looking up at the wall, seeing if it was doing something. A minute passed, and Zelda was beginning to wonder if something had happened to the spell due to the amount of evil in the air. However, those thoughts soon disappeared as she began to hear groaning coming from it. She quickly snatched the insignia from the slot, and before fastening it back on, she backed up a few steps. _

_She watched the wall as it began to glow a light pink colour in the spaces between each brick. It shone as if something from behind it was blazing so brilliantly it shone through the cement holding the bricks in place. Zelda squinted as the light grew, and the ground vibrated slightly. The glow soon became beams of light flying out of the section of the wall, but mysteriously it did not appear in any other area on the wall. The colour soon changed from pink to a multicoloured radiance, similar to that of a rainbow. Zelda's eyes moved this way and that, scanning over the illuminated section of the bricks, looking for some kind of signal that the gate was open. Soon, she began to feel exited as she noticed that one by one, the bricks were slowly becoming transparent while the light from the spaces did not die. She could now see somewhat into the small sanctuary beyond the disappearing wall. A high pitched ringing noise filled the hallway as the light grew intense. Zelda shut her eyes and covered her ears as the light and sound became unbearable. She had no idea when it would end, since she had shut off her senses to the outside world. Suddenly, thoughts filled her head about the fact that she was making herself vulnerable to anything that happened to come her way. She knew that she had to open her eyes, at least. She shook her head and pried them open, only to reveal a now revealed, small sanctuary._

_It wasn't as large as Zelda thought it would be, but there was not mistaking it for the secret room in which the sacred Ocarina of Time rested. She uncovered her ears, and sighed with relief once she found that the ringing was gone. She smiled as she looked on the small golden shelf on the wall in the sanctuary opposite her. The sky-blue wind instrument rested on the display, placed in the center of two mysteriously lit candles. Its altar was not as elaborate as Zelda imagined, but it did not matter whether or not it looked good if no one but the Royal Family could view it, did it?_

_After looking left and then right in order to make sure no one was watching her, Zelda wasted no time in running into the tiny room to retrieve the sacred artefact. She reached the podium, and looked at the holy instrument with awe. A strange but humble blue glow emerged from every part of it. Her hands shaking slightly, Zelda delicately reached for the Royal Family's heirloom. She had a subconscious fear that if she touched it, something would happen to her, but she was royal blood, and nothing harmful would come of touching it. She tenderly scooped the instrument up from where it lay for these many years, and breathed another sigh of relief. She calmly slipped the Ocarina of Time in the space in which the fabric on her torso overlapped, and it held it in place, secretive as well. She was startled once the candles extinguished on their own, as if they were supposed to when the ocarina left its shrine. Now that she had the ocarina, she was all set to get out of the castle and meet up with Impa in the stable. All she had to do was be careful._

_She turned around and walked forward, but ran into something hard. Stunned, Zelda stumbled back a little before regaining her focus. She looked up slowly to let her jaw drop in terror as she stared into two fiery, glowing eyes._

"_No…no…" Zelda mumbled under her breath as she backed up into the corner of the room. Ganondorf laughed to himself as he stared down at the frightened child._

"_Impressive, Zelda," he complimented calmly. "Like many on my mission, you have unwillingly led me to what I desire. You should be proud of yourself," he added with a wicked grin._

"_What did you…? How did you…?"_

_Ganondorf snickered. "Don't be foolish, Princess. I've followed people who were much more alert than you were. Did you really think you could escape from me? Ha!"_

_Zelda curled up in the corner, intimidated by Ganondorf's massive size and ominous eyes._

"_Now…" he muttered. "Like I said earlier, I gave you some time to reconsider your decision on handing over what you just seized." Ganondorf slowly took a step forward, once again narrowing the gap between him and Hyrule's princess. "So…" he growled deeply. "What will you do?"_

_Zelda recoiled back slightly, before shaking her head. "No…never."_

_It definitely did not look like this pleased Ganondorf at all. His face tensed in rage as he bared his teeth. He ruthlessly swatted Zelda with the back of his hand, sending her to her the ground. She screamed in fright, and then began to sob as the right side of her face began to sting._

"_Foolish child!" roared Ganondorf. "You should've handed it over!" He stepped toward her once again. "Instead you will die, like all of the fools who gave their lives today!"_

_Zelda had her face buried on the floor as she could feel the small jolts in the ground as Ganondorf approached. She could feel her tears making contact with the ground as she could feel Ganondorf's cold had grab her head and lift her up to her feet in a violent motion. She leaned on the wall while holding her cheek. Ganondorf looked at her, about to pop a vein._

"_I'm not going to ask you again, child! Hand over the Ocarina of Time, or face dire consequences!"_

_Zelda slowly looked up from the ground, and stared straight into Ganondorf's eyes. She remembered at technique that Impa had taught her last year, and it was the only way out of this mess. It was now or never. Zelda quickly outstretched her arms out to Ganondorf, palms facing his eyes, which widened at her sudden movements._

"_Fulguris!" she screamed. A bright, white flash of light shot out from her hands, blinding everything it touched. It was extremely brief, but it was enough. Ganondorf roared as he covered his blinded eyes in agony._

_Zelda tried to hold in her tears as she quickly crawled under Ganondorf's legs as he stumbled around slightly, grunting as he tried to get his sight back. She managed to get on the other side of the man, got up, and sprinted as fast as she could down the hallway, determined to get away from him. She ran around the corner, not even bothering to stop to check for enemies, for she knew the worst was behind her. However, her heart dropped once she heard Ganondorf laughing behind her. If she were going to get out of this alive, she was going to pick up the pace, for Ganondorf was surely going to pursue her. She found the steps leading down to the third floor, and literally leapt down them as she could hear Ganondorf laughing from every corner of the halls. Once she reached the third floor, she dashed to the right: the way to the next flight of stairs. She passed torches every second, each whooshing sound like a drum in sync with her rapidly beating heart. Her blood turned cold as she began to hear heavy footsteps not too far behind her. She turned her head in horror as she spotted Ganondorf walking down the hall, slowly, pursuing her with much confidence, chuckling to himself as he watched the princess run in terror. _

_Zelda screamed and burst faster down the hallway, the torches now passing by faster than her heart. The other staircase was now clearly in sight, and it only encouraged Zelda to run faster. However, no matter how fast she ran, whenever she looked back, she had not gained any ground from Ganondorf. She bit her lip and almost tripped as she flew onto the stairway leading down to the second floor. She gained a little bit of confidence once she saw that Ganondorf was no longer in sight, but couldn't help but feel a terrible presence around her._

_That presence was confirmed once he flew out of nowhere and landed directly in front of her. The ground shook violently due to the impact, sending Zelda back a bit, nearly loosing her footing on the stairs. She put the back of her hand on her mouth as she backed away from the King of Thieves._

_Ganondorf breathed hard after the chase. "Sorry, Princess…" he gasped. "…bad choice!"_

_He raised his left fist high above Zelda's head; he was going to squash her like a bug! He roared and threw his giant hand downward. Zelda yelped and fell backwards, and was extremely fortunate to dodge Ganondorf's punch by mere inches. She felt he pain shoot up her back once she fell hard onto the steps. She was even more frightened once she began to see cracks and gaps emerge around her from the shock of Ganondorf's fist. She could hear the stairs crumbling from beneath her, and she didn't dare move due to the fear of triggering a full collapse. She looked back up at Ganondorf, who now looked back at her with a sinful grin. It didn't look like he was noticing the stairs falling apart. Zelda bit her lip as he lifted one of his feet. Zelda knew that his weight contacting the ground would surely break the staircase._

"_Ganondorf! Wait!" she cried desperately, but it was too late. Ganondorf pounded his heavy boot onto the next step, and a huge crack was heard. Zelda felt like the stairs became soft, and she was sinking into them. She soon found the support beneath her totally gone, however, and could feel herself falling through the floor. She could now see from underneath the stairs, and screamed as she fell faster down past the second floor. She knew she would hit the cold ground of the first floor, and it would surely knock her out, if not kill her. She braced herself for impact, and once she made contact, it surprisingly didn't hurt her at all. In fact, she didn't even hit the ground._

_Zelda found herself surrounded by hay, which had thankfully softened the impact. On top of that, the fact that she landed on hay must've meant that she was right by the stable! She was almost home free! She violently threw the hay off of her, and saw the hole in which she fell through. She gasped when she saw Ganondorf peering over her a floor up from where she lay, and looked like he was looking for a good spot to land. She shrieked and quickly stood up to bolt towards the nearby wooden door. Since this door had no knob, Zelda kicked it open to reveal the castle stable._

_She found Impa just mounting a white steed, decorated with royal insignias and other things representing Hyrule. She could also see Ganondorf's black horse, tied back like an untamed beast, thrusting forward in Impa's direction, opening and closing its mouth, saliva dripping everywhere. Impa turned to Zelda with concerned eyes._

"_Zelda! Did you get it?"_

"_Yes! I have it! Hurry!" Zelda screamed as she reached for Impa's arms. Impa grabbed a hold of them and hastily brought her onto the horse. She put Zelda in front of her, and leaned forward to grab the reigns, holding Zelda in place with the other hand._

"_Hurry!" she yelled. "Ganondorf has been following me!"_

"_What!" Impa screamed. "What do you mean he's-"_

_They heard a loud crash to the left of them, and turned to see Ganondorf blowing through the wooden door, rushing towards them. In quick Shiekah instinct, Impa found a throwing knife on her belt, and hurled it at Ganondorf. Zelda watched it pierce the left side of his chest, right through his armour. Impa wasted no time in driving the steed forward. Just before they burst out of the stable, Ganondorf started to laugh as he ripped the knife right out of the wound like it didn't even hurt._

"_What are you…?" mumbled Impa as the horse leaped out of the stable and onto the south field of Hyrule Castle. Zelda looked behind them just in time to see Ganondorf going for his own horse._

"_Go, Impa…go!" she yelled. "I've never wanted to be away from home this badly!"

* * *

_

"The time is approaching 8:00…I hope we are not too late," Kaepora Gaebora muttered as he flew Link over Hyrule field, heading towards the East; towards Hyrule Castle Town. Link was completely silent for most of the ride so far. He could feel the energy radiating strongly from all of the three Sacred Stones in his pouch hanging off of his belt. He too, hoped that he was not too late. He knew that chances were that it had been attacked by now, since they estimated that it would take place in the afternoon, but he prayed to the gods that Amentaris and the Elite Guard had fended off the enemy for long enough. He watched the rolling hills of Hyrule Field pass by under the darkening sky. The air began to get chilly, which only gave Link bad thoughts. He begged to the almighty ones that Zelda was alright, and that he would somehow find a way to meet up with her in the town, amidst all the panic, of course. The thing was all of the tasks he had on his adventure so far were all planned out carefully. This time, Link was afraid he was going to have to wing it, and he hoped that luck would be on his side.

"Brace yourself, Link," said Kaepora. "The city will be visible momentarily. I fear that it may not be a pleasant sight."

Link perked up at the mention of it. "Kaepora, do you think that…well…we're too late?"

Kaepora continued to look ahead. "It depends on what we're too late for. Be more specific."

Link looked down upon Hyrule Field uncomfortably. "Well…are we too late to fix everything? Are we too late to stop all of this?"

Kaepora shook his head. "Never underestimate the power of the Triforce. No power is greater than that of the gods, and that won't change. No army or man can withstand their might, remember that."

Link breathed easier. However, he turned cold once another question popped into his mind. "Then…what about the city? Do you think that it has been attacked already?" Link averted his eyes from the West, curling his lip. "Do you…think that…people are dying, right now?"

Kaepora was silent as he looked onward. Link looked at him anxiously, waiting for his response.

"That, Link…" he muttered. "That, I am not so certain. I do feel a strong evil in the atmosphere…"

Link groaned, as if they had already failed.

"…but I can not determine whether or not is the force of Ganondorf's power, or the stench of death. Just hang on, Link; we'll find out soon enough," Kaepora assured him.

What bothered Link was that he wasn't sure that he wanted to find out.

Link's eyes widened as he scanned the landscape below him. He wasn't sure what it was, or why it surprised him. For an unknown reason, whenever he observed his surroundings, a mysterious sense of familiarity shot up through him. Although Link knew he had been around this area once or twice, somehow it felt as if he had been here more times than he could count. What he couldn't quite put his finger on was that he knew that he did not experience these feelings when he was actually here before. It might have been the atmosphere the region was in at the time. The temperature and humidity of the air and the fading light of the sun made this place unlike the way it was the other few occasions he walked or flew over here. It was such a weird feeling; Link had trouble trying to ignore it. His eyes continued to look at the tall grasses, unable to stare over the horizon ahead. It frightened him, somewhat, for the sense of acquaintance reminded him of fear he had felt in the past. Where and why, he hadn't the slightest clue.

Link was slowly becoming entranced by the strange power of the land below him, when Kaepora braked hard in the middle of the air. He simply began to hover there, completely silent; the quietest Link had ever heard him. Something had either startled or baffled him, and Link was fearful to see what it was. The owl's powerful wings beat the air around Link loudly, messing up the direction of the wind surrounding. Link, still looking at the ground, not daring to look forward, spoke.

"Kaepora," he called. "What's wrong? What is it?"

Nothing came out of Kaepora's mouth; he was too bewildered to speak. Link knew that this mean that he would have to behold whatever Kaepora was looking at, himself. The bad thing was that he didn't want to. He had already seen too much today, but he was now faced with something shocking, based on Kaepora's reaction. He had to look, and whatever it was, he was going to tough it out. Link shut his eyes, and clenched his fists before turning his head toward the West. He continued looking in that direction with his eyelids shrouding his view. He bit his lip, and with a strong effort, lifted them off of his eyes.

As fast as Link glanced upon it, he turned away, unable to even glance at such horror. He turned in the opposite direction and covered his eyes, with the image flashing through his mind like mad. He could not believe it…they were too late.

Quite a good section of Hyrule Castle Town already lay in smoky ruin, and the rest was heavily under siege. In the split-second glimpse, Link saw a large black mass, dotted with the lights of many torches, marching down the main street, with many other figures fleeing in the opposite direction, towards the city gates. However, the must noticeable thing that he saw were large balls of fire being launched into the city from the castle grounds. It was safe to assume that the enemy had stolen Hyrule Castle's siege weapons, and were using them to level the city. The projectiles were about as big as the average house in the metropolis, and burned with pure hatred. They slammed into the many buildings of Hyrule Castle Town, flattening every building they came in contact with. Some would roll and take out a whole line of structures. Once they stopped, they would simply set alight the surrounding buildings. The city was basically ablaze, and Link couldn't bear to think of the poor souls inside of the walls, unable to escape. He could almost hear the screams of women and children, trying to take everything they could and get out of the city before the enemy marching the streets got to them. Link cringed in anguish and furiousness, he knew that the soldiers would be sacrificed, but he never anticipated innocent civilians to be slaughtered. He had to put a stop to this insanity, now.

Link had had enough at this point. Everything he had endured up until now rested on this situation, and this is what the gods gave him: a smouldering city under attack by a reckless foe. He had absolutely no idea how he would be able to get inside and find Zelda, setting aside getting killed horribly by a stampeding military. He was going to do it anyway. Somehow, someway, he was going into this mess head-on and clean it up in one swift stroke.

"Kaepora!" he yelled, still looking away. "Fly me in; there is no use in just floating here watching! Let's go, now!"

Kaepora sighed glumly. "I'll fly in low behind the wall to avoid any fire. Hang on!"

Kaepora Gaebora resumed movement, and dove down low, blocking the view of the attack behind the stone walls of the city. Now, only smoke was seen rising from behind them, ominously looming above them. Kaepora flew so low that Link was a mere two feet from the ground they were passing. They sped towards the wall at such a speed that it looked like they were going to crash right into it. Kaepora looked ahead cautiously as they grew dangerously close to the wall. He then turned left sharply, towards the drawbridge that lead to the interior of the city. He held Link is such a way that he was looking straight up at the smoke-covered sky. As they sped across towards the entrance, Link just stared at the sky, possibly contemplating how he was going to do this.

However, something startled him as he looked at the heavens. He was knocked for six when he saw something fly thirty feet over the wall and start to descend. It was one of the flaming balls being launched into the city, most likely a misfire. However, judging by how fast they were going and the way in which it was falling, it was going to hit them directly! Link panicked as it fell faster than they were flying forward.

"Kaepora!" Link screamed. "Look out! Above us!"

The owl looked up to see the huge ball of fire heading down towards them. He gave a panicked hoot and desperately tried to swerve out of the way. He banked sharply away from its path, in a frantic attempt to dodge it.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The ball managed to scrape Kaepora's right side, making him holler in pain and spin out of control. Link had no idea what was happening, but the next thing he knew, he was rolling in the tall grasses of Hyrule Field. First he saw the ground, then the sky, then the ground, then the sky again. It might've been the constant blows to the head that made Link unaware of what was happening. He bounced and flipped painfully on the ground as his momentum began to slow down. He couldn't say anything as he continued to tumble across the grass, but he wanted to. Soon, he slowed down to a quickly moving barrel roll. Link had no idea how his cap was still on his head or why Navi was not complaining. As soon as it had started, Link eventually slowed down to a stop, and flopped onto his back.

He lay there for a moment or two, stunned at what had just happened. Kaepora was nowhere in sight, and Link wasn't exactly sure if he was okay. He thought he was going to lie there forever, until he heard something come from his cap.

"What in the name of the gods was that!" muttered a muffled voice. Link yanked off his cap while still lying down to let loose his guardian fairy. She burst off of his head and began to hover above him as he slipped his cap back on. She landed on his nose and took a seat, trying to calm herself down.

"What just happened!" she demanded.

"Sorry…Navi," Link groaned. "We had a bit of an…incident…"

"An incident?" Navi questioned.

"Never mind…" Link moaned. "I'll fill you in later."

Link narrowed his eyes and cringed as he sat up. He eventually stood himself up and stumbled back, holding his left shoulder.

"Oooh…I'm going to be sore in the morning," he grumbled.

The moment was abruptly interrupted by a moan from behind Link and Navi. It was a moan of pain, and it came from the grass near the drawbridge which Link had now just noticed was fairly close. It was up, blocking the way into the city, but Link could worry about that later. For now, he had to towards that crying. Without even thinking of consulting Navi, Link sped towards the noise. Navi flinched and immediately followed.

Following the moaning, Link understood more and more what it was that made it. He ignored the pain of future bruises on his body, and focused on getting to the source of the sound. He soon found something directly in front of where the drawbridge would've been lowered, not too far from the river surrounding the city walls.

There, Kaepora Gaebora lay; one half of his body burnt and smouldering. Link's heart dropped as he gazed upon the blood that had leaked out of the wound created by the impact. This urged Link to get to his side as quickly as possible.

"Kaepora!" Link yelled as he dashed towards his fallen body. He hastily kneeled beside him, looking at the ghastly wound on Kaepora's side. Feathers were all around him, yanked out of his skin because of the collision.

"Kaepora…you're hurt…" Link mumbled, not able to think of anything intelligent to say.

"Heh…I can see that, lad," Kaepora replied, followed by a series of coughs.

Navi managed to catch up to them at this point, and once she caught a mere glimpse of the owl's condition, she put her hands over her mouth and turned in the other direction, powerless to stomach it.

Link breathed hard as he looked at the burn wound.

"Oh no…" he muttered. "What…what do I do?" he asked as he began to hesitantly reach for the gash. Kaepora quickly swatted Link's hand away from it with his undamaged wing. He then lay there, eyes closed for a moment, but then opened them, and he turned to Link.

"Heh…I never saw this one coming…" he whispered.

"What?" Link panicked. "Never saw what coming?"

Kaepora looked back at the sky. "Link…I think I would know…this is it for me…"

"Huh? No!" Link yelled. "No…you can't die! Not now!"

Link couldn't think straight. Was Kaepora really dying? This couldn't be happening, and now, of all times!

"Don't…grieve for me, Link…" Kaepora barely managed to utter. Link couldn't tell, but it looked like Kaepora was sporting a grin. "I…believe I've had more than a…full life…" Kaepora coughed violently as the life faded in and out of his yellow eyes.

"Kaepora…" Link whispered, trying to hold in his grief.

Kaepora then looked at him once more, his yellow eyes looking desperate. "Link…there's…a secret…" he murmured.

"A secret?" Link asked. "A secret about what?"

"Who…you…really are…" Kaepora coughed. Link was silent as Kaepora opened his eyes again. "You're not…a…"

The owl interrupted his sentence by a series of weak coughs and wheezes.

"Kaepora," said Link. "Stay with me!"

Kaepora looked at him once more. His sallow eyes going cold. "You're…really…a……."

A long, dragging exhale came from Kaepora, and he lay back and went limp. He ceased to move after that. Link began to feel a cold air move around him as he looked at his friend.

"Kae-…Kaepora?" Link stuttered as he looked at the owl. He tried shaking him, but nothing happened. Helpless, Link fell back into a sitting position. He lowered his head, and hung it there for a minute. He was silent, and maybe let a tear or two hit the ground.

"…Kaepora…"

Link couldn't believe it, but Kaepora Gaebora was dead.

Link sat there for what seemed like hours, unable to keep his composure. He held his hands out below his face, letting his tears land on them. He felt Navi land on his leg, and he heard her sobbing as well. Link had been with Kaepora since basically the start of his adventure, and now he, like many others, was a victim to Ganondorf's evil. The owl could not reincarnate himself like he could back when he was the Sage of Forest, so he was gone for good this time. Link no longer had a decent form of transportation other than his two legs, and he had no idea how he was going to get past the advancing enemy by moving on the ground. Kaepora, his friend, had now fallen because of Ganondorf.

Ganondorf was to blame for all of this. If it wasn't for him, none of this turmoil would've taken place, and no one would've died in vain. First it was the Deku Tree, murdered needlessly in order for Ganondorf to get what he wanted, and did he get what he wanted? No. Ganondorf then attempted to wipe out the Gorons immediately after, and Link barely managed to save them from extinction. As if the death of King Dodongo and the foiling of his plans on Death Mountain weren't enough, his influence managed to reach the Zora tribe, endangering their very way of life by putting their guardian spirit in jeopardy. Once that was all out of the way, Ganondorf went all-out, and murdered thousands with his fully gathered army. The king was probably dead by now, and Link did not know about how Zelda was. Now, Kaepora Gaebora lay dead before him, and the same man was responsible.

Link cringed as he looked at the ground. Too many lives Ganondorf had taken without the expense of his own. Now, he had taken out one too many, and Link was starting to snap. He wasn't going to get away with it this time. Ganondorf was not going to take that many lives and walk away from it…not while Link was still breathing. Link clenched his fists in the grass and clenched a few blades.

"Not…going…do…get…away…with this…" Link growled under his breath, looking up at Kaepora's body. Navi looked up at him from his leg.

"Link…get a hold of yourself. Calm down…"

Link stood up, but still looked at Kaepora.

"Ganondorf…" he muttered through his teeth. "…you're next…"

Navi panicked and fluttered close to Link's ear. "Link…don't lose your temper. Keep yourself together."

Link looked up over the towering city walls, trying to get his voice over them.

"Can you hear me, Ganondorf! I'm going to kill you myself!"

"Link…" cried Navi, backing away slightly.

"You're going to pay for all that you've done! I'm going to kill you!"

CRASH!

Lightning struck the many mountains surrounding the area, hushing Link's rage with a quick flinch. The thunder rumbled throughout Hyrule Field, echoing off the cliffs bordering the valley. It was so loud that Link could feel the vibration flowing through the ground beneath him. Link turned to his left in horror as he noticed that Kaepora Gaebora's body was no longer there, as if he had become one with the earth. There were no traces of him left; not even his feathers. He just vanished into thin air, never to be seen again. Link pondered and pondered the mysterious disappearance of his remains, but his train of thought was halted by a sudden overwhelming feeling of familiarity and déjà vu. It was so unreal, unlike any feeling he had ever felt…

_Pit…pat…pit…pat…_It wasn't raining hard, although it looked like it was about to, he thought. Link felt like he didn't know where he was or how he got there, although he knew that already. He was just standing there, in front of the gate to Hyrule Castle Town, but to him, these feeling made it feel like large structure made out of materials that he had never seen before. Link's eyes narrowed as it seemed that some sort of glow was coming out from behind the drawbridge. His heart began to beat faster and faster. The rain came from leaking, to a moderate pour of light rain, now a downpour. Suddenly, crashes of lightning screeched down from the sky once again, striking the many mountains surrounding as they did before. Link panicked the distance between him and the structure seemed to be stretching apart. Link breathed hard as he looked around franticly, searching for an obvious path to follow, maybe leading back home, but he didn't know why. Out of the blue, he heard rusty clanking and grinding. He turned around sharply to see what was making the mysterious sound. The little pockets of fire on the torches that burned on either side of the drawbridge seemed to burn brighter, as the drawbridge itself was slowly lowered to the ground by two chains, or what seemed to be shining rope to Link, although he knew what they were. A large CLUNK was made when the drawbridge finally hit the ground. At that point, everything went silent. The rain and thunder was drowned out by the pumping of his heart, as he stood in awe of what he just witnessed.

Link stood there, bewildered and dumbfounded. His jaw was dropped, and he was shaking his head in disbelief. This is when he finally understood.

"No…" he whispered. "No…this…this can't be…happening…"

Navi turned to him. "What? The drawbridge is open…what's so bad about that?"

Link breathed so hard that he thought he was going to faint. This was unbelievable. "Navi…this is my dream; the one I've been having these past few weeks…this is what happens at the beginning!"

"What? Are you sure?"

Link nodded, but was still looking onward into the blackness the drawbridge revealed. "I couldn't be less positive…I can't believe it…"

Everything seemed to grow quieter as his heart pumped stronger and stronger. Link didn't know how he was standing up as he felt more and more like he was asleep, once again experiencing his nightmare.

The silence was broken by a horses neigh. Link snapped back into consciousness and squinted into the dark abyss that used to be hiding behind the plank. He looked further and further, until he saw some sort of light in the vague distance. It seemed to be coming at him, fast. Now he could hear distant galloping; a horse. Another element of his dream told him that this was the first time he had ever seen one. The horse was white, and seemed to be in a hurry. As it got closer and closer, he got more nervous. Next thing he knew it was inches from him. By instinct, he bolted out of the way before it passed him, and turned around to see who was riding on it.

Link remembered in his dream that a girl and a woman were riding the horse, but he never knew who. Hopefully, this time, he would finally find out and conclude this part of his dream. As the horse flew past him, Link was somewhat not surprised who was on it.

Zelda was in the front of the horse, and Impa was behind her, holding her close, making sure she wasn't harmed. The girl in Link's dream was Zelda, and the woman was Impa! It all made sense to him now, and Link couldn't be happier to see her safe. The horse blew right past him, and it didn't look like Zelda noticed him as they went by. There was only one thing to do.

"Zelda!" he called out.

The horse skidded to a halt one Link called out Zelda's name. It was like they had expected him to be there, but began to doubt it once they burst out. The horse turned to reveal Zelda and Impa, looking at him. Zelda herself was hastily fumbling her hands around, searching for something. She pulled something out of the pockets on the horse's saddle, and looked up at Link with her sparkling eyes. She cringed slightly, and threw the object as hard as she could in Link's direction. Link couldn't see what it was amidst the pouring rain, but he decided it would be best to catch it. He ran towards the left, and jumped up, hand outstretched to let the object fly into his hand. He landed on his two feet, but didn't bother to look at the object Zelda had given to him, for he was too busy looking at her.

"Link! Take it!" she screamed as Impa turned the horse towards Hyrule Field. "You're the only one who can stop him!"

Sooner than Link knew it, Impa had set the horse in full motion, and they sped away into the darkness, and soon out of sight. Link stood there in the rain, contemplating on whether or not he was ever going to see her again. He just looked into the darkness, hoping that she would come back, but no such thing happened. He bit his lip and forced himself to look away from the darkness, knowing that Zelda would not return. He gazed his eyes upon on what Zelda had just entrusted to him, and his eyes widened in amazement.

What lay in his hand was a brilliant, bright blue ocarina. It looked like the Fairy Ocarina that Saria had given him, but it was different in some ways. It glowed a little bit through the finger holes, and at the base of the mouthpiece, there was a metal plate, bearing the symbol of the Triforce, and a few ancient inscriptions that Link couldn't understand. It was perfectly smooth, as if great care had been taken when creating this objet d'art. There was no mistaking…Zelda had entrusted him with the legendary Ocarina of Time. He grasped it firmly, and slowly slipped it into his pocket, next to his Fairy Ocarina.

"Strange…" Link mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Navi inquired.

Link looked at the ground. "…I don't remember that part. That wasn't part of my dream. Usually, she would just look at me and take off." Link looked at his pocked. "…it never showed anything about the Ocarina of Time…"

The rain continued the shower down, pounding on Link's head, drenching him in water. "After that…" he murmured. "I wake up, screaming every time because I see something horrible, but I can never remember who or what it is…"

Navi grew nervous. "Link…" she said hesitantly. "…what happens next in your dream?"

Link looked down at the ground, his heart pumping harder. "I hear…a…"

A horse's grunt was heard directly behind him. Link thought his heart was going to burst out of his chest when he spun around. There, right in front of him, mounted on his black horse, with its red eyes staring right at him, was Ganondorf, peering into the void of darkness that Zelda had Impa had hid under. He wasn't looking at him; he only wanted to get to Zelda, but it seemed as if he ran out of luck. He seemed quite angry, for his eyes were glowing with rage, and his teeth were bared. In anger, he slammed his fist into the saddle of his horse.

"Arrrgh! I lost her!" he screamed. "That Shiekah is faster than I thought…"

Ganondorf looked around, and soon his fiery eyes set their gaze upon Link. Link could feel Ganondorf's intimidating power flow out of his eyes and penetrate Link's mind.

"You! Over there! Little kid!" he called out. It didn't look like Ganondorf recognised him. He looked at him with a stern expression, being very serious. Link simply stood there, too nervous to move.

"You must have seen the white horse gallop past just now…" he said through his teeth. Link still didn't move, despite his rage building up inside him. "Which way did it go!" Ganondorf demanded. "Answer me!"

Ganondorf obviously wanted Zelda for some reason. Link assumed it was because he wanted the Ocarina of Time, but was unaware that Link had it. However, Link was definitely not going to put Zelda in danger just because Ganondorf asked him a question. Link kept his face straight, and backed up one step, keeping his difference from the King of Thieves. Ganondorf frowned.

"So…" he muttered. "…you think…that you can protect them from me…"

Link's heart dropped as Ganondorf revealed a grin.

"You've got guts, kid," Ganondorf commented.

As Link thought of all the people Ganondorf had killed, he only felt himself grow even angrier. The Great Deku Tree, the Gorons, the Zoras, the Hylian Army, Hyrule's king, General Amentaris, and maybe even his own men all fell to the man who stood mounted before Link. All Link had to do to avenge their wasted deaths was to strike him down where he stood. This is what his mission was: to defeat Ganondorf. He was just sitting there, on his horse, unarmed and vulnerable. Link had to take this chance, or he would never get it again.

Slowly and cautiously, Link gradually reached for the Kokiri Sword strapped onto his back. It made a quiet but long scraping noise as it was removed from its scabbard. Soon, Link's sword was in hand, and he was ready to take down his nemesis.

However, Ganondorf just sat there, chuckling to himself. His laughs were separate, and almost displayed a different amusement each time. He just looked at him with his evil eyes, occasionally peering at Link's weapon, as if expecting him to do something.

"Heh…heh…heh…" he laughed. His smile grew even wider. "You want a piece of me! Very funny! I like your attitude!"

Ganondorf suddenly raised his left hand, his palm facing Link. Link's eyes widened as he began to see small amounts of energy being charged up where Ganondorf wanted it. The energy was pitch black, and gathered up in the center of Ganondorf's hand, making a small ball. The ball got larger, like a snowball rolling down a mountain. Soon, the ball was almost the size of Ganondorf's hand itself, and it began to pulse a bright yellow, signalling it was reaching its maximum capacity. Ganondorf's eyes burned bright as he looked at Link's worried face.

Link knew by instinct that whatever Ganondorf was doing, it was not going to help him one bit. He was stopping this disaster, right here and now, and Ganondorf didn't even know it. It was time to avenge all of the souls who had fallen to this man's reckless evil.

He was no longer afraid.

Link charged at Ganondorf, his sword drawn aback, ready to go for the kill. Ganondorf did not flinch, however. Link leapt up with amazing power, and managed to get over the horse's head, and drift towards Ganondorf himself, who looked back at him with his glowing eyes.

"Murderer!" Link screamed as he thrust his sword forward. When he expected to make contact…when he expected for everything to end, all he got was a sharp jolt of pain, instantly spreading out through his entire body. It was like electricity from Barinade, except ten times more powerful. It seemed like Ganondorf used his ball of energy just before Link struck his head. Link could feel the dark energy travelling through his eyes, his teeth, down his neck and throughout every appendage. Link's body twitched and jerked in midair as the dark force overtook him. As the pain became unbearable, Link was tossed back by another unseen force. He flew way back away from Ganondorf, and landed hard around six feet from him. He rolled backwards due to the angle and speed he hit the dirt on, and felt the burns all over his body take effect. Link winced as he noticed his body was literally smoking. Shocked and panicking, Navi rushed over to her fallen partner.

"By the gods, Link! Are you okay!"

Link shook his head violently as he tried to fight off the constant stinging, and began to sit up, with even more pain flowing through him as he did so. He saw Ganondorf as he was able to look forward. Ganondorf simply stared back, chuckling, his eyes seemingly on fire. This only made Link angrier, and he began to try and get back on his feet. However, as he started his attempt, he saw Ganondorf quickly raise his left hand once again, and Link was violently dragged back to the ground by an unseen force. As he tried to get up, it only felt like he was tied down to the ground by invisible ropes. Ganondorf was laughing as Link tried desperately to get back up unsuccessfully. Link's rage only fuelled his incentive to get up, and as he tried harder and harder, the force holding him on the ground seemed to grow stronger. Link eventually screamed as his obsession on killing Ganondorf was all that was present in his mind, and was unable to accomplish this goal. Link's screaming only made Ganondorf laugh even harder.

Unfortunately, Link's body did not have any energy left to struggle against Ganondorf's power, and his body limped onto the ground, and remained that way. Ganondorf's laughing eventually died, and there was a temporary silence. The rain splashed on Link's face, but he barely even noticed due to the all of the pain overtaking his body.

"Pathetic little fool!" exclaimed Ganondorf as he slowly drove his horse forward so Link could see him. He stopped beside him, his left hand still putting the restraining hex on him. His eyes glowed so brightly, Link couldn't even see his pupils anymore. Ganondorf grinned with satisfaction as Link weakly looked back at him. Ganondorf shook his head.

"Don't you realize who you are dealing with!" he shouted. He looked forward into the blackness confidently, still grinning. "…I am Ganondorf! And soon, I will rule the world!"

Ganondorf then tugged the reins of his horse, and it sped off, out of Link's line of vision. All Link could see was the dark sky, with the pounding of hooves and Ganondorf's wicked laugher fading behind him. Sooner than he knew it, Ganondorf was gone, and the magical power that braced him on the ground vanished in an instant. Link immediately sat up and held his arms, trying ignore the pain. He found it within his strength to stand up, and luckily keep his balance. He looked at the ground for a while, before looking behind him in a hope that he would still see Ganondorf. Unfortunately, he was nowhere in sight; he was gone. Link simply stared into the darkness, for reasons even he did not know. Navi flew close to his ear.

"Forget it, Link," she encouraged him. "You don't need to worry."

"He got away…" Link growled. "I had him, Navi…I had him…"

"Err…no offence, Link," she said uneasily. "But I never think you had him in the first place."

Link sighed glumly.

"Don't worry about it," she assured him. "You have the three Sacred Stones and the Ocarina of Time! Since Ganondorf obviously didn't know that you had them, there is nothing stopping you from getting the Triforce! You don't need to worry about killing him now…there are much more important things."

Link was silent for a moment, but then nodded slowly.

"You're right," he mumbled. He turned his body towards the gate to the city, and looked into the dark. It was time to finish this the way he was supposed to finish it.

"First, though…" muttered Link. He reached into the pouch of the Sacred Stones, and withdrew the Goron's Ruby. "…I think I should heal my burns…"

* * *

_Sight didn't come back to him immediately, but it slowly made its appearance once he regained consciousness. He was lying on his stomach in what he supposed was Hyrule Field. His head was turned to the side when he came around, so all he saw right away as long grass, swaying in the night wind. As he waited for energy to return to him, he just looked at the grass in front of him. It occasionally swept across his face, and he could barely shoo it away with his breath._

_He couldn't remember much of what just happened, but there were some vague memories lingering somewhere in the depths of his mind. He remembered Kanakana getting on top of him and beating his head until he could no longer control his body. The next thing he knew, he was here, lying motionless on what he thought was Hyrule Field._

_He decided it was best not to lie there like a fool and think of those things, so he found it within himself to lift himself up off the ground. However, when he put his hands on the ground to push himself up, he felt a sharp and intolerable pain in his right arm. He grunted and fell back down on the ground. It looked like something had fractured it, making it useless. Obviously he had to find another way to get up. He thought up of a plan, and rolled onto his back, going over his good arm instead of the bad to save him some grief. He then put in some effort and sat up, using only his stomach muscles. Once he was in a sitting position, he managed to swing his legs around so he was kneeling. While he held his right arm to keep it from moving, he raised his right leg forward to lift himself off the ground. However, once he put pressure on it, he felt another sharp pain near his ankle. He cringed and put it back behind him. Great…now he had a broken arm and a sprained ankle. He put his left leg forward instead, and quite thankfully it was fine when he put pressure on the ground. He bit his lip as he only used one leg to lift his bulky body off of the ground. Once he was standing up, he kept as little pressure on his sprained ankle as possible, reducing the pain. When he looked around, it was confirmed that he was standing in Hyrule Field. But what now?_

_Suddenly, he felt a slight hope when his eyes fell upon Lon Lon Ranch, which was less than a quarter of a mile away. Link's words immediately popped into his head._

"_Well, if something was to happen here, and you have no place to go, go there. There is a girl there; a friend of mine that goes by the name of Malon. She is a very big fan of yours, and would gladly take you in."_

_Amentaris nodded, as if he was listening to the boy right now. He looked up at the ranch and shook his head, knowing he was going to limp his way there on his own. However, it was only chance, and he had to take it._

_Cringing, he began to limp forward towards the dairy farm.

* * *

_

Link ran through the city streets, nearly fully healed thanks to the power of the Goron's Ruby. He was saddened as he saw the expressions on the townsfolk's faces as they ran by him in the opposite direction; towards the city gates in a hope of escape. Almost everyone around him was screaming in terror as they thought of the advancing enemy behind him. Link felt like an outcast, for he was the only one heading into the city instead of out. He could smell burning wood in air, and every so often could see a flaming ball of fire travel far overhead, eventually slamming into the buildings surrounding him. Link felt very depressed as he heard what some people were saying.

"What's going on! Why are we running!"

"We've gotta get out of the city!"

"My baby! Where's my baby!"

Link wished he could help them, but he was too determined to get to the Temple of Time before the enemy completely overtook the city. He had been sprinting for about two minutes, so he knew he was going to reach the centre of the city, which he knew he would have to turn right where the main road splits in three directions: left; towards marketplace, right; towards the Temple of Time, and forward; towards Hyrule Castle.

Once Link noticed the people passing by eventually began to grow scarce, he knew that he was getting closer to the advancing enemy. He began to see the main square approaching in the distance. Link knew if he was going to get out of this alive, he was going to keep up the pace. If he thought correctly, the enemy would probably be approaching that spot as fast as he was. He began to grow fearful as he approached the center of the city. It didn't look like anyone was around, which was to be expected, seeing as that the enemy was so close to this are. Link could now here rumbling up ahead; the proceeding opposition was drawing near. It was only a matter of seconds until Link reached the centre of the square and would have to turn right. He ran out into the round, open area of the city, with the fountain in the centre still flowing. However, Link definitely decided not to hang around when he saw what was approaching from behind it.

Ganondorf's massive army marched the streets of Hyrule Castle Town in a large, intimidating line. It was about ten or twenty soldiers wide, and they all marched steadily. It seemed their organization had changed; they had been separated into to many platoons. In every platoon, there were around ten standard soldiers, and one Iron Knuckle. Using common sense, Link knew that he didn't want them spotting him, so he sprinted toward the right as soon as possible.

As he dashed down this new street in which he had never explored the first time he was here, his heart sunk as he heard a few ugly voices behind him. They sounded like Lizalfos, making Link run faster.

"Hey! Check it out!" one of them cried. "That kid's running the wrong way! Ha ha ha!"

"Oooh…let's get 'im!"

Link bit his lip as he turned around and saw one patrol split from the main mass. The Lizalfos and Moblins ran ahead of the Iron Knuckle, which walked calmly in Link's direction. Link was thankful that he was gaining ground from the Iron Knuckle, but the pursuing Lizalfos and Moblins worried him. If he was going to get to the Temple of Time, he was going to have to slow them down. Link looked around frantically as he ran, trying to find a possible way to stall them. Soon enough, he found it. He saw an abandoned display of apples and oranges on the side of the road, and Link decided to use this as an advantage. He swerved over to the right, and got nervous as he heard the Lizalfos and Moblins' snarls and grunts grow close. Link managed to get on the sidewalk and fortunately drew the Moblins and Lizalfos onto it as well. Now, this was Link's chance. As he passed the display, he quickly tipped them over, spilling apples, oranges, and other fruit onto the ground. Link turned around an maybe even snickered as he saw the Lizalfos and Moblins stumble, trip and fall over the scattered fruit. He had just enough time to hear them curse before he ran so fast that he managed to get out of auditory range of his chasers.

When he turned forward, he was so amazed that he almost forgot to keep running.

The Temple of Time was a lot larger than Link expected. It was somewhat similar to Hyrule Castle, except it was not as wide. The temple was more like a cathedral than a tomb like Link thought it would be. There were two large towers on either side of the front of the structure, and a rather large one in the centre. There were many ancient stained-glass windows in the front, depicting events of the past that Link did not recognize. Link noticed than near the rear of the structure, there was an even wider tower, which looked separate from the rest of the structure. Instead of having a pointy roof, it was more of a dome. This part of the building filled Link with wonder as he pondered what was inside that particular section of the building. There were two, large, wooden doors for the front entrance, with an insignia of the Triforce just above them. It's front lawn was small and modest, but beautiful all the same. Carefully tended crass and a small dirt path lead to the front gates, with two pools water on either side of the temple.

There was a small flight of stairs that led to the front lawn, and Link bounded up them in an instant. Now, it was just a straight dirt path that lead to safety. Link bolted it, but when he turned around to see who was following him, it wasn't the Lizalfos and Moblins, but the Iron Knuckle, calmly walking up the steps that Link just jumped over. The particular one was different from the others, since it had a distinguishable blue streak on its faceplate. Link decided to ignore this as his lips curled, and he continued to sprint in the direction of his destination. He wanted to get as far away from that thing as possible, and was willing to do anything to do it. Link could feel the ground jolt as the Iron Knuckle pursued calmly behind him. As he rushed toward the Temple of Time, Link began to wonder what the Iron Knuckle's goal was…was it to hunt and kill him, or was it another purpose? Link knew that to be a great warrior, you had to have speed and agility, and an Iron Knuckle was no exception. Since the one behind him was seemingly taking its sweet time, Link began to contradict the thought of it wanting to kill him like the other enemies wanted to. Did this particular enemy have something else in store for him? Was he using him for something? Link had absolutely no clue, but he wasn't going to let this get in the way of letting him go where he wanted to.

He drew close towards the ancient cathedral's front gates, and from the sound of it, it looked like he was gaining distance from the following Iron Knuckle. Link now rushed past the two pools of water, making the path narrower as he drew ever so close the sanctuary. He soon found the stone steps leading to the heavy wooden doors, and as he ran up them, he skipped every second step to get him up faster. There were only a few, and Link got up within a few seconds, and faced the large wooden doors.

He looked behind him only briefly to see that he had not gained as much ground on his follower as he had expected. He had to hurry if he was going to escape. Link looked up at the large, wooden doors, but couldn't seem to find a way to open it.

"I think they just push in," said Navi, occasionally looking behind as well at the approaching foe. "Well? What do you have to lose? Just push!"

Silent, Link nodded and slammed his palms into the left-hand door. He winced as he applied huge amounts of pressure onto the door, still growing nervous of the looming fiend behind. Link could feel the hinges of the door creaking and groaning as he felt the door beginning to swing forward. As he continued to push the door, his eyes closed because of the effort he was putting in, he could hear the Iron Knuckle's footsteps slowing down. What was it doing? Link tried his best to concentrate on opening the heavy door, and when he opened his eyes, he noticed that he had opened it up just a crack, but it was large enough for him to slide through.

"Alright," Link spoke to Navi. "Let's go."

Link sidestepped through the space they made between the doors, barely making it through. He was just about to push the door open a little more to create more space, but then found it wasn't necessary when he managed to stumble inside the magnificent architecture. When Link turned around in the dark building to look outside, he saw not only Navi rushing in through the gate, but the Iron Knuckle as well. It was standing just outside the door on the landing at the top of the stairs. There it stood, motionless in the darkness and rain. Its axe was resting along its waist, and it simply stared at Link, not a word spoken or an appendage twitched. Link stared back at it in disbelief for a moment, when he thought of a better idea.

Link got to the other side of the door he had just pushed in slightly, rammed himself against it once more in order to make it slowly slide back in the opposite direction. Link shook his head as he heard silence outside, and not the expected clank of armour. The door creaked even more noisily as it reached closing. The door stopped suddenly, making Link jolt a little, and a large clunk was made when the two doors made contact with each other.

The place was pitch black when Link shut the door, and when he expected the Iron Knuckle to start banging on the gates, let alone literally knock them down, but none of that happened. Instead, when Link pressed his ear on the door, he could hear the clinking of the Iron Knuckle's armour, growing faint; growing more distant. It seemed pretty obvious that it was leaving the scene, back to the main attack. It didn't look like it wanted to kill him…it wanted to let him live.

"…but why?" Link muttered to himself.

* * *

_Malon sat in the middle of the field in Lon Lon Ranch. The air had gotten abnormally damp, and for reasons she couldn't quite put her finger on. The air was also a lot colder than usual at the ranch, even for night time._

_She had gone out here to gaze at the stars, as she had done every night since she was very young. She found the stars easily one of the most beautiful things one would see on the ranch, since they were so far away from all the torches and other light-based festivities of the city. However, tonight was different; for some reason, the stars were not visible at all tonight. The odd thing was that they were always visible every night at the ranch. The only thing that could be blocking them would be overcast skies, but then again, there had never been cloudy weather at the ranch, not even in the day. This peculiar weather puzzled Malon, as if it were a dark omen of things to come in the near future._

_Malon jumped when she heard footsteps behind her. She immediately didn't recognize them as her father's, or even Mr. Ingo's. She knew that they both were probably asleep by now, so who could this be. She was too afraid to turn around, so she carefully listened to them. For an odd reason, these footsteps were as strange as the weather tonight. One step seemed to always be shorter than the preceding. If Malon put the pieces together, this person was limping. They began to grow clearer, closer…what did this person want. As they drew in close, Malon thought about running but kept her ground. Soon, they suddenly stopped, and then there was silence. She held her breath as she felt a presence behind her. Still as nervous as ever, she slowly turned around to see who was staring at her. When she found out, she was surprised she didn't faint._

_It was General Amentaris. Malon didn't know why he was here, why he was looking at her like that, or why he looked so beat up, but there he was, right in front of her. Malon had daydreamt about a moment like this, but she didn't think of him so injured like this. She simply stood there, jaw dropped, staring at her long-time hero._

_Amentaris stared back at her, and his lips curled before he spoke._

"_Are you…the girl who lives at this ranch? Malon, isn't it?"_

_Malon's breath was sucked right out of her when she heard him say her name. How did he know it? More importantly, what did he want with her? She responded by simply nodding, very slowly._

_Amentaris nodded and grinned slightly. "…Good…" he mumbled as he turned away, looking off into the distance. "…good…"_

_The man then unexpectedly collapsed and fell face-first onto the ground, and ceased to move. Malon almost screamed as he fell. She kneeled down to shake him, but nothing happened. She thought he had died in front of her, but she soon found that he was breathing. However, something happened then shocked Malon even more than Amentaris falling to the ground._

_A drop of rain landed on her shoulder.

* * *

_

"Whoa, hey, what the…?"

Link spun around from the door, to see that the Temple of Time was no longer pitch black. It had been alit with torches, lighting the whole room in a bright light. What caused the torches to light, Link hadn't the slightest clue, but it didn't matter now.

Only from the inside did Link realise the true beauty and genius of the cathedrals design and architecture. It had been built with pale white bricks, giving the entire temple a somewhat heavenly atmosphere. Black and white tiles were below his feet, and they spread throughout the entire giant room he was in. As he looked down the room, he noticed that there were no seats, no tables; nothing. There didn't seem to be a lot of furniture in here, but Link didn't really think it was in the Hylians' interest to make this place a comfortable place to stay. It really gave the place the atmosphere of single-purpose, which Link found suitable. Link looked on the ceiling of the temple, to find a series of arches that led all the way down to the end of the room. It was truly beautiful, and it filled Link with wonder and questions on how the ancient Sages built such a magnificent structure. Link focused his attention away from the ceiling, and directed it towards the end of the room. There, he saw a black altar, but he could not make out its details from this distance. Behind the altar was a set of steps that lead to the wall. However, this section of the wall looked rather mysterious, and it carried a strange symbol. It was quite obvious that this was the sacred Door of Time, which sealed away the final key to the Sacred Realm. Right above it, a predictable symbol of the Triforce was painted in black above the Door of Time.

Link looked at Navi, who nodded in return. Link nodded back and quickly ran towards the altar. He didn't want to waste any more time in ending this whole ordeal, so walking was not option for him now. Besides, he didn't know that the Iron Knuckle that walked away just now was going to come back, or even call in reinforcements to break down the doors. As he raced toward the contrasting black altar, he wondered more and more what could possibly be its purpose. He eventually got close to it, and stopped just before he walked right into it.

Now that he looked over it, he found that it was made of black stone, and had a fine, smooth, glossy finish. As he looked over it, he saw an inscription. Unfortunately, it was a language that Link could not understand, just as he had feared. He looked hopefully at Navi, who in turn sighed and flew close to the inscription. She landed on her feet on the altar, just before the lettering, and kneeled down. She delicately ran her fingers over it, at the same time reading it over.

"Hm…" she mumbled. "…it's ancient Hylian."

"Can you understand it?" asked Link immediately.

"I'll try my best to translate it," Navi replied. She looked over it carefully, and read it out loud, slowly. "You, who wish to obtain the Triangle of Providence, present the Sacred Three to the gods, and call upon them so they shall view them. Only then will a new path will be available to you."

Link grumbled to himself as he crossed his arms.

"Great…more riddles…"

"It's not much of a riddle," said Navi as she took off into the air once more. "I think it's referring to the three Sacred Stones."

Link's eyes widened. "Oh…"

Link now noticed that below the inscription there were three indents, each with its own distinct shape. It didn't take long for Link to realize what each shape represented. With some hesitation, Link slowly reached for the bag attached to his belt, and tenderly pulled the string, loosening the fabric's grip around the Sacred Stones. He gradually reached into the bag, and picked out the first stone that came in contact with his hand. He withdrew his hand from the bag, and held the stone in front of him in order to get a good view of which one he had grabbed. Ironically, it was the Sacred Stone of Forest, the one Saria had given him as a present before he began his journey. Just looking at it made him think of home. Before he got lost in his memories, Link shook his head and looked for the indent that it should've been placed in. He saw the one on the left, and noticed that it somewhat resembled the stone that he had in his hand. He tenderly placed the Kokiri's Emerald into the indent, and the gem slid right in with such ease that it bewildered Link. When it was fully in, it glowed a little more than normal.

"One down, two to go…" Link said to himself as he reached into the pouch once again. This time, he pulled out the Sacred Stone of Fire, the Goron's Ruby. It reminded him of his victory over King Dodongo and his army, and the friendship he and Darunia shared. A little quicker than before, Link found that the centre indent resembled the Goron's Ruby the best, and he let it slide in right next to the Kokiri's Emerald. He then even more swiftly reached into the pouch to extract the final stone, the Sacred Stone of Water, the Zora's Sapphire. Recent memories of Ruto flooded back to him, even though they were just earlier on today. He set it in the last indent remaining, and watched all three of the Sacred Stones glow brilliantly.

Link looked up excitedly at the Door of Time, waiting for it to open. He thought it would open right away, but it looked like it might take a few seconds to start opening. However, as he looked, the door did not seem to be opening. What was going on? Had he done something wrong?

"Hm…" mumbled Navi. "…I think you have to do something…"

Before Link could respond, a white flash took place, and Navi was gone. The atmosphere of the area seemed to grow misty and hazy, almost like a dream. Link was just standing there, wondering where Navi went when he heard a voice behind him.

"Link…" mumbled the familiar voice.

Link gasped. "…Zelda?"

Link spun around to see Zelda, facing the altar, not looking at him. He didn't know how, and he didn't know why, but there she was, right beside him as if she were always there. Her eyes were closed, and she was holding something in her hand.

"Link…can you hear me?" she asked, still not looking at him.

Link felt perplexed. "Yes…of course I can hear you; I'm right beside you!"

Zelda seemed unable to hear him. "…It's me…Zelda…" she muttered. Now Link understood what was happening. Zelda wasn't really in front of him; she must've been contacting him telepathically, and for some reason Link had a visual simulation of her being right beside her. Link, now knowing that it was useless to speak to her, fell silent.

"Link…when you hold this ocarina in your hand…" she said. Link was shocked to now see that the Ocarina of Time had mysteriously found its way into his hand.

"…I won't be around anymore," Zelda continued. "I wanted to wait for you, but I couldn't wait any longer. There was only so little time, and so much to do."

Link tried hard to digest what Zelda had just said. Was she implying that he wouldn't see her again?

"At least I can leave you with the ocarina and this melody…the one that opens the Door of Time."

Zelda then revealed what she had in her hands: an ocarina that looked exactly like the Ocarina of Time. She brought it close to her mouth, inserted the mouth piece between her lips, and began to play. The notes sounded ancient and primitive, but soothing and somewhat magical. It was an interesting song that Zelda performed for Link, and he wanted to enjoy it, but he had to concentrate hard on memorizing the song, since Zelda just explained that this is what he needed to open the Door of Time. Zelda finished the melody, and removed the ocarina from her mouth. The song was short, but it was beautiful nonetheless. Zelda suddenly opened her eyes and turned to Link. Her eyes stared right into his, gleaming in the foggy light.

"That, Link…" she said. "…is the Song of Time. It is a song the Sages themselves composed in order to protect the Sacred Realm from evil ones."

Link nodded affirmatively. Zelda smiled.

"Good. I'm glad you understand," she said soothingly.

"Zelda?" Link whispered. How did she see him nod? "Can you see me?"

Zelda giggled. "As clear as you can see me."

"Zelda…" Link spoke softly as he got close to her. If he wasn't going to kiss her here, then he feared that he would never get the chance again. He leaned in close to her.

"Play this song in front of the Door of Time," Zelda whispered, leaning in as well.

"You must protect the Triforce…"

When Link expected to make contact with Zelda's lips, he only met air. He opened his eyes to see that he was back in real life, and not in some dream, he blushed slightly when he heard Navi speak to him.

"Um…Link? What are you…doing?" she asked uncertainly.

"Oh…uh…heh heh…nothing…" Link mumbled as he turned to face the altar. He quickly reached into his pocket where the ocarinas rested, and luckily grabbed the right one. He gazed upon the Ocarina of Time's cerulean colour before bringing it close to his mouth. Link sighed before inserting it.

The memory of the notes that Zelda showed him flowed through his mind like a river, and they basically came out naturally through it. Navi seemed both confused and amazed that Link had seemingly pulled out a song and played it with such accuracy. He played it so well, Link even amazed himself. Link finished the short song, and removed the mouthpiece from his lips.

Link's eyes widened in amazement as he saw the three Sacred Stones illuminate brilliantly. They shone brighter than Link had ever seen them, causing him to squint. He watched in awe as the Sacred Stones literally lifted out of the indents Link had placed them in, and had turned upright. All three of them rose about two inches above the altar, and hovered gracefully above it, humming and pulsing with power as they did so. Link looked up in wonder as he began to see the black Triforce above the Door of Time glow a bright, golden yellow, and stay that way. There was a lot of noise as this was happening, and Link was about to cover his ears, when suddenly, everything fell silent. Everything grew still, including Link and Navi.

That's when the Door of Time opened.

The giant symbol carved into the odd section of the wall split right down the middle as the two halves of it slowly disappeared into the bordering walls. It rumbled and scraped as the two huge slabs of concrete were separated. It was one of the most amazing things Link had ever seen, and he just stood there, watching the show.

"Come on!" yelled Navi. "We don't have to wait for it to open all the way! Let's just go in now!"

"Right! Let's go!" Link called back as he began to run around the altar. He ran to the left while Navi flew right behind him. Link found the steps that led up to the level of the Door of Time, and dashed up them at lightning speed. Once he reached the top, he turned right, towards the still opening Door of Time. Link burst through, and into a more magnificent room than the first.

This room was much taller than the other, possibly ten stories high. This was probably the large tower at the back of the Temple of Time that Link had spotted before he had entered the building. So, this was the room that the ancient Sages had protected with their large trial. This is what Link had worked for these past days, and now he got it. He noticed on the opposite side of the room there was a stained-glass window, with a mysterious ray of light shining through it, despite that it was in fact night time outside. Link could hear the Door of Time stopping behind him as he followed the ray of light down to where it pointed to. On the ground, directly in the path of the beam, was a mysterious object. It was something standing up on a rather big display. It was on a large, elevated platform, and was sticking out in the middle. Link couldn't make out what it was, and was about to walk up closer to get a better look, when Navi stopped him.

"Wait," she whispered. "I'll check it out. Wait here."

Link stayed put while Navi flew up ahead towards the object in the centre of the room. As she flew closer, she began to go slower. Link did not know why she did this, but he assumed it was because whatever that object was, it was stupefying her. She eventually reached the object, and fluttered around it in disbelief.

"I don't believe it…that's…" she muttered.

"Well?" called Link. "What is it?"

Navi flew around the object, silent.

"It's that legendary blade…" she whispered. "…The Master Sword!"

"What?" said Link as he began to walk forward. "The Master Sword? Is that was it is?"

"Of course!" exclaimed Navi as Link ran up the steps onto the elevated platform. This is where he got a good look at the platform he was standing on. It was round, and there were six carvings on it, in a circular pattern. Each one was round, bearing a different symbol. Perhaps these represented the six Sages, who built this protective building. It was like they had left their signatures here, honouring their hard work. The symbols on each circle were simple, yet unique at the same time. However, his attention was not set on the symbols for very long.

Navi had not mistaken this object to be, indeed, a sword. From what Link could see, it was about twice the size as the Kokiri Sword which he wielded, making Link get the impression that he was incapable of even lifting it. The tip of it was planted in a strange looking pedestal, with yet another Triforce painted on the front. The actual blade was finely polished, giving a crystal clear reflection of Link as he looked at it. A carving of the Triforce was clearly visible on the metal from where Link was standing. It was fairly wide, but was significantly smaller near the guard of the hilt where a golden jewel was placed just before the grip and the steel met. The grip guard curved slightly towards the blade, and was a bright blue colour. The hilt itself was perfectly straight, and made with great care to suit the needs of a fantastic warrior.

Link felt privileged to even set eyes upon its magnificence. It was almost as if he was forbidden to see it, but here he was, within arms reach of it.

"It all makes sense…" said Navi as she gawked at the legendary weapon. "The Master Sword is said to be the blade of evil's bane. It only fits that it is the final key, since Zelda said that it repelled evil and let the pure embrace its power."

"Hm…" Link muttered. "You think I'm pure, right Navi?"

"Of course," she said, looking in his direction. Her bangs swept across her blood-red irises while she sported a friendly smile. "It's not like you're evil or anything. I'm sure the Master Sword would appreciate what you've done for the world."

Link nodded. "I suppose so. I sure hope that it doesn't consider all of those monsters I killed as evil actions…"

Navi's lips curled as she shook her head. "I doubt it. I'm pretty sure it will recognise actions of self-defence."

Link nodded, and looked at his guardian fairy. He soon frowned, however.

"Well…I suppose this is where our adventure ends, doesn't it?"

Navi looked away and nodded silently. "I guess so…"

"So…" Link mumbled, scratching his head. "I suppose this is where we part ways, doesn't it?"

Navi's eyes widened as she quickly looked back at him. "What?"

Link shrugged. "Well…technically you're not really my guardian fairy. The Deku Tree just instructed you to help me along with my task. And now, well, my task is complete, is it not?"

Navi nodded, eyes drifting. "Oh…right…I forgot about that." She then crossed her arms and looked at Link intently. "Hm…well…"

Link looked up. "Well what?"

"You know…I _could_ be your guardian fairy…"

Link lit up. "Really? You mean it?"

Navi shrugged. "I like you, Link; I like you a lot, I have to admit it. You're a pretty cool guy. It would be a shame to just waltz away after all we've been through together."

Link nodded, smiling.

"I'll talk it over with the other fairies when we get home," she continued. "I'm sure they'll let me be your fairy by my own request."

"Navi…" Link whispered. "…thank you…"

"Don't mention it," she replied. "Now, let's end this officially before we get all sappy, shall we?"

Link nodded and turned towards the Master Sword. He took a deep breath and proceeded towards it. When he was merely inches from it, he stopped and looked at Navi.

"What do I do? Pull it out?"

"That would be my best guess," Navi responded.

Link nodded affirmatively, and turned back towards the Master Sword. He slowly outstretched his hands, and with some hesitation, grabbed the hilt of the blade. As Link tugged at it, he found that it was in there pretty tight. He decided to place his two feet on the pedestal to get better leverage.

He adjusted his grip on the hilt, exhaled, and yanked the sword upwards. It slid out in one smooth motion, and came out so fast that it caused Link to fall back, nearly dropping the weapon in the process. The second he hit the ground, he began to feel small vibrations underneath him.

"Hey…" Link muttered. "No one mentioned any rumbling."

Link flinched as he saw the entire elevated platform he was sitting on slowly begin to glow a cruel blue colour. Link panicked and stood up, still holding the master sword in his hand. It was so heavy; he could not raise the tip of the blade off of the ground. Link looked around and saw that the six symbols on the platform now glowed even brighter than the rest of the surface. Link jumped as he saw one of them shot bright blue energy upwards toward the ceiling. As he looked up to see where it was exactly going, he could not see because of the darkness near the top of the room. He jumped again as another one began to do the exact same thing. Link ran towards the middle just before the symbol beneath him shot up blue energy. When his senses returned to him, he found that all of the insignias were firing azure power up towards the sky. When all six of them were performing, Link noticed that a giant build-up of energy was gathering around the edges of the platform. He covered his ears as he saw the force explode out of the perimeter of the raised area. The ground shook violently as Link struggled to keep his grip on the Master Sword.

Link's heart dropped as he began to feel a lot lighter. He found his feet being slowly lifted off of the ground. As he kept his grip on the Master Sword as tight as possible, he expected to be lifted all the way up the Sacred Realm. However, instead, there was a bright white flash, and Link no longer found himself in the Temple of Time.

Link was now standing a purely white area. He had no idea how he got there, or what was going on, but he recoiled at who he saw next.

There, standing in the mist, was a silhouette of a rather large man. His arms were crossed, and his glowing eyes parted the mist around him. It was Ganondorf…what was going on?

"You!" Link growled at the mere sight of the man.

Ganondorf was looking back at him, grinning with such satisfaction it looked like he was overwhelmed. We was laughing to himself, but Link had no idea what Ganondorf found so amusing.

"Geh heh heh heh…excellent work!" the fiend chuckled. "Link, is it? I would like to thank you for all the help you've given me these past few days…"

"What?" Link yelled. "Help! What help! Have you completely lost it or something!"

Ganondorf laughed. "It seems you are confused, young one," he said lowly. His eyes narrowed, still sporting the same malevolent grin. "Tell me, kid…did the Princess inform you of what I said to her yesterday?"

Link recoiled. "What about it?"

Ganondorf snickered. "Did she tell you about what I said about the Sacred Stones?"

Link's eyes widened. "You mean when you said that you…already have them?"

Ganondorf laughed and clapped a little. "Very good!" he said. "I see you have a strong memory. Tell me the truth, here…did you ever figure out what I mean when I said that?"

Link narrowed his eyes in anger. "No…"

Ganondorf looked at him intently "I didn't think so. Allow me to explain what I meant as to what just happened. As I suspected, you held the keys to the Sacred Realm..."

"What!" Link screamed. "You knew!"

Ganondorf sniggered as he nodded. "I was well aware. Why else wouldn't I have killed you when I had the chance at the city gates?"

Link gasped as he took a step back. He never really thought about that.

"And now…you have opened the gates to the Sacred Realm for me, and led me right to them!"

"What! No!" cried Link. "I opened it! I should have the Triforce! This doesn't make sense!"

"Oh well," laughed Ganondorf. "I guess that's too bad. Now, if you excuse me, I have a sacred relic to claim." He turned around and began to head through the gate of the Sacred Realm. "Yes…I owe it all to you, kid!"

Ganondorf let out a long, roaring laugh as Link was suddenly flying upwards. He flipped and twirled as he was tossed away from his enemy.

"Nooooooo!" he screamed as he soared upward. "Ganondooooorf!"

Link continued to spin upwards…tossing and flipping uncontrollably as he continued to shoot upwards. Flying up…up into nothingness.

All went black.


	19. Seven Years

19

_Seven Years_

It was an odd sound…one that he never really heard before. If words could describe it, it would be a small drop of water hitting a puddle, heard as an echo from the end of a long tube. It was deep and wavering, and every time it repeated itself it altered its pitch either slightly or dramatically. He could not see nor feel, and if he could smell, from what he could tell there was scarce any scent. The only thing he could really feel right now was the coldness of the air around him and a constant aching throughout his body. It felt as if he hadn't moved in years, for every time he tried to shift or budge, his body failed to receive the message delivered from his brain. From what he could predict, he assumed that he was lying down, but where, he had no idea. He remained there, motionless and unaware of his surroundings, only listening to the strange echo of dripping water. He was beginning to fade out…about to fall asleep, when he heard his name being called by a nearby voice.

"…Link…" it whispered. It was a soft, soothing, but in a way gruff voice, similar to that of an aging man.

"Link…wake up…" it whispered again. "Link…the chosen one!"

Link wanted to tell this voice that he could not see, but by this he realised that he could not speak either. Whatever this voice was, it had no way of knowing the state Link was in right now.

"Don't be afraid to see, Link," the voice said. "You can see if you believe you are able to."

Link cringed. What was this person talking about? He could see if he believed he could? It didn't make sense…Link knew he was able to see. He was seeing just fine a few minutes ago when he was flying upward in that white void. How come he couldn't see now? He could see, and he was sure that he was not blind.

That's when he began to see a light. It was a soft blue colour, and it was gradually merging itself with the black he once saw. It was a light that constantly shifted, always changing its pattern. It constantly ran and flowed over itself, similar to the behaviour of water. Now that Link realized that he could see, he wanted to know if his other senses and ability to move had returned to him. This time, his head lifted, and Link was astonished at what surrounded him.

He was in a giant, dark void, with many platforms scattered throughout. They were small, paper thin, apparently made of some sort of liquid, yet at the same time they looked rather stable. Waterfalls of the fluid poured down occasionally on the platforms, which Link assumed gave them solidity. As Link lifted himself slowly off the ground, he looked at the platform he was lying on. As he got around kneeling, his head swayed as if he was dizzy, but he tried to focus on what was around him. He noticed that the platform he was on was made out of the same substance as the other surrounding platforms, but was slightly bigger and was a lot more interesting to look at. As he examined it closer, he began to see the similarities between it and the platform where the Master Sword rested in the Temple of Time. This platform too, was circular, and the mysterious insignias that were carved into the platform, were now somewhat like pedestals that would hold up a statue. However, these ones were also coloured, each one different, and seemed to be made of metal. Link looked around to his right and began to look over each of them. As he let his eyes travel to the right, the first one he saw was an emerald green, then a blood red one. He began to turn his body around as his eyes passed over a watery blue, a ghostly violet, and a sandy orange. Link found that he had just done a 360 degree pivot on the point at which he kneeled, and was now staring at the final plinth. This one was a golden yellow. However, there was something different about this one than the others. Link then jumped to his feet once he realised that a somewhat elderly looking man was standing on it, looking back at him keenly. Was this the man who was speaking to him?

The man's eyes were hard and unblinking as he stared at him. He had a thick, grey moustache, which spread out from underneath his nose all the way back to his sideburns. Other than that, that was the only hair on his head. Although he looked pretty serious, his somewhat tubby physique gave him somewhat of a comedic relief. Link now noticed that this man's robe was exceedingly elegant. The main part of the robe was a light orange. It went from neck to toe, and had a hood, similar to the garments of a monk. Although it was strange, the sleeves of the cloak seemed longer than his arms, seen that his hands were not visible. Instead, there were miniature belts around where his hands supposedly were, which cut off the rest of the excess fabric from them, making an interesting look. Aside from the bottom layer of his clothing, there was other, more decorative fabric on top. Around the waist area there was a large, white cloth that went all the way around him, and went down to around the knee area. There was an interesting design in blue that went all the way around this cloth, making it look somewhat regal. However, the most elegant part of the robe was on top of this and the main part of the robe. This part was mainly red in colour. It started off as a large, triangular piece of fabric that went from his shoulders – making them look larger – and had buttons on the front. This went down to around the middle of his torso, where an insignia of the Triforce with many white designs around it were sewn. This was the centrepiece of this well-designed fabric, and the rest branched off from it. A long, narrow cloth extended from the sides of the insignia, and found its way around the man's back. A larger, more rectangular piece of cloth hung down below the Triforce symbol, over the white fabric and hung all the way down to the floor. All of the red, decorative cloths were finely details with many designs sewn in obsessive care. This man seemed very important, and in a way, powerful.

"Ah, he awakens…however I detect a hint of confusion within him, if I am not mistaken," said the strange man. Link was not sure if he was talking to him or to himself. As he did when he first saw him, he was being freaked out by this guy. Link was about to open his mouth and ask who this man was, when he cut him short just before he uttered a single word.

"Yes, many questions you must have, Link. Do not fear; I am not your enemy. As I detected in your familiar thought patterns, you wish to know my identity, do you not?"

Link drew in a short, quick breath as he stood in awe at this mind reader.

The man chuckled. "I am Rauru, the ancient Sage of Light."

The ancient Sage of Light? What was going on? Weren't they all dead? Well…since Link hadn't the slightest clue of what was happening around him, he tried his best to digest it. When he opened his mouth to confirm Rauru's statement, he was hushed once again.

"Do not be alarmed, Link," he said seriously. "I know that my true identity may come as a shock to you, but I will explain in a moment. However…" he said as he looked to his left. "There are much more important things you need to abide."

Rauru looked back at Link with keen eyes. "It is a simple task, but I'm afraid it will be difficult to think after it is completed."

He looked to the left again, and slowly outstretched a hand in that direction.

"Just…" he mumbled. As his hand hovered above the floor, Link looked down and noticed something emerging from the watery platform. It was square and flat, and had a highly polished surface, making a clear reflection of the light that met its face: a mirror.

"…look at yourself…" Rauru said quietly, as if he were nervous.

He wanted him to look at himself? Was this guy nuts? Why did he wish for Link to see himself in the mirror? Well…not a lot of things had made much sense in the past two minutes or so, so Link shrugged at just went for it. When his eyes met the mirror that Rauru revealed, Link finally realised why he had to do it. Link thought he would never see this, but there it was, looking right back at him.

What Link saw in the mirror was himself, as an adult.

He looked…good. It was funny, really…Link looked unbelievably different, but at the same time, Link saw distinctive similarities between his new body and his old one, which he thought he was controlling just a few minutes ago. The first thing he noticed about himself was that he was much taller; about twice as high as he was when he was a kid. He had trouble adjusting to the fact that his head was much higher off the ground than it was before, for it felt as if it hadn't moved at all. The second thing he noticed, he liked a lot more; when he looked at his arms, legs, and torso, he saw that they were much more defined and well built, as if he had worked out for years without stopping. He might have even grinned as he observed how his body had grown from a slim, small physique to a now larger, more athletic build. Next, he looked at his face. He noticed that his chin was a lot sharper and more angular than it was before. His eyes were much harder, and they didn't gleam as much when they were juvenile. His whole facial structure now was greatly matured, and Link felt as if he had stepped through a time portal. His hair was pretty much in the same style as it was before, which Link was thankful for. However, as he looked at his hair, he noticed something. He delicately brushed back some of his hair around the side of his head, to reveal the lobe of one of his long, elven ears. His eyes widened is somewhat shock as he noticed that a small, blue ring was impaling it, and was hanging there as if it were some kind of decoration. Link was surprised his ear didn't hurt, but it then occurred to him that this was not the first time he saw one of these things. He remembered that Zelda wore these, but they were not like this. Hers were like ornaments than dangled off her ears, with many designed and shapes on the parts that hung off. They were not circular like Links…were they like this because he was a male?

His eyes then fell on how he was dressed. His clothes were obviously bigger if they were to fit him, but they were almost exactly the same as the clothes he wore when his was young. He had a very similar cap on his head, perfectly resembling his favorite hat. His emerald green tunic flawlessly mocked his old one, but this one, he noticed, didn't go as far down his legs as the other (but not by too much; lets leave it at that). As these articles of clothing were familiar to Link, he noticed some new things were on him as well. Where his skin was usually exposed, on the legs, arms, and collar, he noticed that he was now garbed in a strange, white material. It was skin tight, thus allowing Link to notice his new muscles, but was strangely comfortable. The only skin that was now visible on his body was on his face and most of his neck. He lifted the small sleeves on his tunic to see that this material went all the way up his arm, and possibly under his entire tunic, creating a whole other layer of clothing. As he thought this was an interesting addition to his attire, something else caught his eye. He noticed that there were now leather gauntlets on both his hands. His fingers stuck out of the holes of his new gloves halfway to his upper knuckles, making it possible for him to feel things with his finger tips. The gauntlets stretched to around middle of his forearms, making a somewhat intimidating look. Link noticed that there were small metal pellets on the primary knuckles, which Link supposed might have been put there for the purpose of strengthening the effect of his punch. His boots were basically the same as before, but like the rest of his similar clothing, they were larger.

Before looking away from the mirror, Link noticed the equipment on his back. He could see the Hylian Shield that he had last time he checked, but this time it wasn't as big as it was before, or so it seemed. It was now only the size of his back, and it seemed that he could now carry it in one hand, which he was incapable of before. However, something even more mysterious caught his eye. When he looked at his sword, he saw that it was no longer the Kokiri Sword, but the Master Sword. It was in a delicately detailed sheath, which looked like it was designed just for the sacred blade. Why was it equipped on his back as it were meant for combat? The Master Sword was just a relic, not a weapon…wasn't it?

Link looked away from the mirror Rauru revealed to him. He was too overwhelmed to look at himself anymore. He looked at the apparent Sage of Light, who looked back at him with an interested expression. If Link wasn't going to get an answer by looking at the man, he was going to ask him himself.

"Okay…" Link muttered to Rauru, but cut himself short as he covered his mouth with both of his hands. What happened to his voice? Did he have a cold or something? Link cleared his throat and spoke again.

"So…" he said again, but then grunted as the same thing came out of his mouth again. That wasn't his voice! What was going on? He was used to his voice to be smooth, calm and childish. Now, it was much deeper, and whenever he spoke, he could feel the vibrations of his vocal chords travel through his chest. He sounded completely different, but for obvious reasons. Since his body matured, so did his voice. It wasn't that he didn't like his new voice, but more that he was having a hard time getting used to it.

Rauru smiled. "Heh…shocked, I presume? Or confused?"

Link shook his head. "Erm…both…I guess…" he said, still trying to adapt to his matured voice.

Rauru laughed. "I expected nothing less. Well, since you are having a hard time understanding what is going on, allow me to put it into simple words. Link, you're big now; you've grown up!"

Link looked up at Rauru, eyes narrowed. "I can see…that…" he said wryly, somewhat getting used to his voice. "Why?" he demanded. "Why did you turn me into this? Turn me back; I can't be an adult yet! What kind of magic are you using on me? Reverse it, now!"

Rauru chuckled. "Oh, on the contrary, Link. I can not undo this magic," he said with confidence. "It seems that you overestimate my power, as that what turned you into what you see in this mirror is much more powerful than me. In fact, this magic is greater than the gods themselves."

Link began to breath hard. A magic greater than the gods? No such thing existed!

"And what magic is that?" he inquired.

"Time, Link…time," Rauru answered.

Link flinched and backed up a step. "You don't mean to say…" he whispered.

Rauru nodded, knowing what Link was thinking. He seemed to be a lot more serious than he was a moment ago. "Link…it is hard to put this in words that make it easy to comprehend the concept."

Link looked at the Sage of Light intently, not saying a word.

"You see, Link," Rauru mumbled, looking away slightly, possibly thinking of what to say. "Today, you pulled the sacred blade, The Master Sword, out of the Pedestal of Time. You successfully completed the challenge the ancient Sages had set for the legendary one, herein."

Link nodded, but then tightened. "Legendary one? Who are you talking about?"

Ruto leaned his head back, looking impressed at Link's well-witted questions. "Ah, very cunning of you. That is just what I would expect in the legendary Hero of Time."

"Hero of Time?" Link asked, dumbfounded and shaking his head.

Rauru smiled. "The Hero of Time is one of many prophesized legends. He is the one foreseen to have collected all of the keys to the door of time, and remove the Master Sword from its resting place to open the gates to the Sacred Realm, thus claiming the Triforce."

Link was silent.

"Yes," said Rauru. "Link, you are the Hero of Time, chosen by the gods themselves!"

Link flinched again, and looked at himself. He looked at the palm of his hand briefly before gazing upon Rauru.

"…me?" he pondered. "I've been…chosen by the gods?"

Rauru nodded. "No one would've been any more suitable for the role."

"But this doesn't answer anything!" Link blurted. "Why am I in an adult body?"

Rauru hushed Link. "Patience, Hero of Time, I'm getting to that." He crossed his arms. "Although you were chosen by the gods to claim the Triforce and protect the land of Hyrule from evil, there was a minor but critical glitch in the system."

"A glitch?"

Rauru closed his eyes solemnly. "Yes, unfortunately. You see, the gods foresaw the Hero of Time as a young man." He opened his eyes and looked at Link. "The Sages seal that the others and I had created was simply to let only the pure into the camber where the Master Sword slept. The Master Sword itself had a solitary purpose, which was to identify the Hero of Time and allow him access to the Sacred Realm."

"Then…" Link muttered. "How come when I claimed the Master Sword, all that happened was I saw Ganondorf walk into the Sacred Realm and I was just tossed upward, away from it?"

"Here's where the glitch comes in," Rauru continued. "You see, since the gods prophesized that the Hero of Time would be a grown man, when you appeared in the Sacred Realm, the gods were confused as to why you were so young, yet you carried the blood of the Hero of Time. So, instead of letting you have their holy relic, they locked you away in here: The Temple of Light, situated in the very centre of the Sacred Realm…namely, the Camber of Sages."

Link's mind raced with thoughts and questions, but at the same time he understood completely. He was confused as to why the gods would not let him have the Triforce simply because he did not look like they expected, but then again it explained why now, when he awoke, he was now all grown up. So…what this mean was that Link had truly grown and matured, not by any magic, but naturally…by time…

Link looked down at himself. He scanned over his new appearance, and began to stomach the fact that this could not be reversed. He now understood that he had missed the rest of his childhood, and was going to have to live with it. Once again, this was another agony that he had to live with because of Ganondorf.

"Rauru," Link said. "How long has it been since I pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal?"

Rauru paused. "Seven years to the day. From what I can tell, I'd say you are 17 years old."

Link nodded slowly. "Seven years…" Abruptly, another question popped into his head. "Then…what about –"

"Ganondorf?" Rauru cut him off. "I'm afraid there is nothing pleasant to hear when it comes to him. Do you really wish to know?"

Link nodded. "I saw him when I entered the Sacred Realm. If there is anything that needs to be heard about him, then I want to know."

Rauru's lips curled. It seemed that he was having a hard time thinking about it. "…after you entered the Sacred Realm, and the gods began to enchant the spell to lock you away, the pathway to the Triforce was left open, so anyone could enter it. That particular person happened to be Ganondorf, and it ironically was all part of his plan. He somehow learned of your quest, and by some means knew that the gods would not accept you into the Sacred Realm. He planned to use you to let himself in, since the Master Sword would destroy him if he touched it with such an evil mind."

Link was silent, and did not avert his eyes from Rauru's own.

"Ganondorf sensed the immense power you unleashed at the Temple of Time," Rauru continued. "He immediately cancelled his pursuit of Hyrule's princess and headed towards the point of the great energy, which he immediately detected as a tear in the fabric of time; the path to the Sacred Realm had been opened."

Link's eyes narrowed. "I don't get it. Why didn't the gods stop him? Weren't they trying to protect the Triforce from evil ones?"

Rauru sighed glumly. He shook his head in grief and in a little bit of wryness. "Yes, the gods agreed mutually that the Triforce was destined to only be in the hands of the legendary Hero of Time. Since you entered the Sacred Realm before the King of Thieves, the gods were pleased that one of purity had passed the test, and now only concentrated on keeping you in the haven of the Sacred Realm until you were ready to claim the Triforce for yourself. What the gods did not see was that while they were beginning the incantation to lock you away, was that the pathway to the Sacred Realm had not closed when you entered it, for a child was not intended to open the Door of Time. They did not see Ganondorf enter the Sacred Realm, and consequently he was free to touch the relic."

Link gripped his chest. All of a sudden, something gripped him in an extremely agonizing manner. It came from his heart as it was struggling to keep him alive. It felt like something was inside of him, and was struggling to escape from his flesh. He wasn't having a heart attack; it was something much worse. Link collapsed to one knee as the pain began to throb. It was like it was a series of blows to the inside of his ribs as this thing was trying to snap them open. Link cringed and sucked in as much air as possible as the pain only grew worse. Soon, he could not keep it down any more. He desperately hit his chest with the side of his fist repetitively, trying to keep it in. In a fascinatingly quick time, the pain receded into the depths of his body, and remained there, now silent.

He slowly rose to his feet. When he looked at Rauru, it didn't look like he was surprised to what just happened to him. However, at the same time, there was a significant look of concern in his eyes.

"Are you all right, Link?" he asked.

Link swallowed. "Yeah…I think so. What was that?"

"From what I could see, you just experience an extreme bodily reaction to grief," Rauru replied. "It is nothing to worry about. Just relax."

"Okay…" Link breathed. "Anyway…Ganondorf has the Triforce? He got it before me?"

Rauru nodded. "Yes. When Ganondorf touched the Triforce, the legends became true, and the Sacred Realm twisted and transformed into a mockery of what it once stood for; the Sacred Realm became full of evil, converting into the new Evil Realm."

"No…" Link blurted. "This couldn't have happened! The Sacred Realm is…gone? No! I don't believe you!"

"Believe it, Hero of Time!" Rauru shouted angrily. "If you want to know more of what has happened, you are going to have to accept the fact that things did not go the way we planned! The Sacred Realm is not gone, but it now wields the opposite polar energy that it once had! I'm sorry, Link, but this is the truth, and if you can't acknowledge it, then I fear you are lost."

Link exhaled and lowered his head. He knew that it was true, but he didn't want to believe it, despite its obviousness.

"Ganondorf's power radiated from the temples of Hyrule…" Rauru continued, without waiting for Link's response to his previous statement. "…and in seven short years, it transformed the land into a world of monsters. I'm sorry, Link, but the Hyrule you once knew is now gone…disappeared behind a veil of darkness."

Link stood there, his head lowered. He shook his head slowly, and did not stop. He could feel his eyes watering.

"Using this power," Rauru went on. "Ganondorf unintentionally exchanged the title of the King of Thieves, to the Great King of Evil. He is now the most powerful being in this land aside from the gods, and even they cannot do anything about it."

Link clenched one of his hands into a fist. "It's all my fault…" he sobbed. "If only I stayed away from Ganondorf long enough…none of this would've happened. I would've been old enough to be the Hero of Time, and I would've saved Hyrule instead of destroying it!"

"Do not dare say that, Link," said Rauru. "If you tried to avoid him, he would've hunted you down. He knew where you were, and relied on you to open the door for him. If you tried to keep away from him, he would've forced you to open the door anyway. This is what destiny brought us, Hero of Time. We cannot change what has happened, Link; we can only move forward and hope to undo things that way. This is where your part comes in."

Link looked up. He found some kind of hope in these words. "…my part?"

Rauru nodded. "You indeed have a part to play in these dark times, Link. However, before I tell you what you can do to deal with these tidings, there is something on your mind. I can feel a sense of curiosity in your thought patterns."

The question immediately popped into Link's mind, as if Rauru had just placed it there. Rauru just stared at him intently, waiting for Link to ask the question. Link didn't see any reason not to ask it, so he went ahead, but not without a little bit of hesitation.

"Princess Zelda…is she alright? What happened to her? Where is she?"

Rauru frowned. "All I can say about the princess is that I don't know much. For the past seven years, she has eluded my sight. I don't know how, but she has seemingly disappeared from the land. I am not sure if she is alive or not, but all I can show you is what happened to her the day when you opened the pathway to the Sacred Realm."

Link nodded. "Show me."

Link could not see Rauru's hands beneath his sleeves, but it looked like he was pointing to the mirror.

"Look in the mirror, Link. There, I will show you."

When Link looked back into the mirror in which he first saw himself as an adult, he once again was faced with the new version of him. Was this a metaphor or something that Rauru was giving him for the only purpose of playing with his brain? He once again was entranced at looking at himself. Link knew it was going to take a long time to get used to this, and it wasn't going to be an easy task, either. The whole fact that a moment ago he was a child, and now it seemed in a few minutes he had grown up and was now expected to play the role of a man seemed highly inequitable, and it gave him the impression that the world expected far too much of him. After all, he was still just a kid.

As he continued to look into the mirror, beginning to doubt that he was doing anything to gather information about Zelda, he noticed something. Though he could still see himself in the mirror, he saw some other things as well. He saw movement flying across the reflective surface like the glares of many different passing lights that were not visible to him. Link inhaled in shock as he began to see his figure being slowly replaced by motion. Its colour was green…possibly grass, passing by quickly. Soon, Link could no longer see himself, and all the mirror showed him was grass. However, as if he thought this was all that he was going to witness, he began to hear sounds coming from the mirror. It sounded like howling wind, with a torrent of rain hitting the ground. Amongst all of these sounds, Link also heard the galloping of hooves, pounding the ground in a desperate and frantic pace. The angle of what the mirror showed him changed, and revealed the white steed he saw Impa and Zelda on the day of the attack. There was Zelda and Impa, riding on it into the infinite blackness of Hyrule Field. They looked the same as when Link saw them that day, so this must've been what they were doing after they had met up with him.

It zoomed up on Zelda. She suddenly opened her eyes, and looked behind her. Lightning struck the horizon as she gazed in fear at what they were trying to get away from.

"Impa, something's happened…" she said. Impa turned around as well to see what Zelda was looking at. Zelda bit her lip. "Impa, stop the horse; something's wrong!"

Impa pulled violently on the reins of the horse, making it rear and slide to a stop. Impa steered the horse so it faced in the opposite direction, and brought it to a halt.

Zelda peered into the distance, with looks of agony and fear sweeping across her face. Her eyes frequently changed their direction from the horizon to the dark, electric sky. At the same time, she seemed at a loss as she tried to see what had happened that had struck her with such fear.

"It's Ganondorf…" Zelda whispered. "He's entered the Sacred Realm…"

"What?" said Impa, dumbfounded.

"I don't know how…" Zelda continued. "…but I do not sense Link's presence in this world anymore…he's gone."

"Gone?"

Zelda shook her head. "That's all I can see. He is no longer here, and Ganondorf is about to obtain what he desires." She looked up at the sky, her eyes filling up with tears. "We've failed…"

Impa bit her lip, and remained silent. She looked off to the right, possibly considering the outcomes of this unfortunate event.

Link saw a tear roll down Zelda' cheek as she turned towards Impa. It could've been a drop of rain, but Link could tell the difference.

"Impa…" sobbed Zelda. "What are we going to do?"

Impa bit her lip, and looked uneasily at the person she was trying to protect. It seemed like she was thinking hard on what she was about to say; what they were going to do, or whether or not to say the only answer to the question.

"I don't know how to say this, Princess, but…" she mumbled. "If you truly believe we have failed, then into exile we must go."

Zelda swallowed. "…exile?"

Impa nodded. "If what you said is true, then it would be wise to stay as far away from civilization as possible, for it will soon be in ruin."

Zelda exhaled and looked downward in disbelief. "…so this is how it all ends," she murmured. "Everything Link and I worked for has only led us further down the path of dark fate…how ironic."

Zelda and Impa both flinched when a loud, cracking noise was heard beside them. It came from the ground, and to the right. When they looked, they were both shocked to see a hand sticking out of the earth. The hand was rather large; about the size of Zelda's head. It had a thick black glove on, with two spiked, red bracelets on it to hold in place. The end of the glove was ripped and torn, as if it had seen many battles. What was most shocking about it was the part that was exposed. The arm, compared to the hand, was very narrow. However, it soon occurred to Link that it was not just a very skinny arm, but it was literally just a bone! There was no flesh at all on the appendage! Just when Link was assuming it was just a dead body's arm sticking out of the ground, his assumption was soon denied when the hand began to move. It twisted around and moved its fingers, loosening the soil around it. The hand seemed to have purpose, as if it were determined to accomplish something it had longed for, for years. It bended and straightened its fingers slowly and repetitively, with such determination and somewhat anxiousness. This skeletal arm looked as if it had just been brought to life, and was now had an indomitable resolve to return to the land of the living. It soon bent its fingers and stiffened all of the muscles (if there were any) in its hand, signalling that it was putting a lot of effort into something. Link almost jumped when a second hand – the left hand – burst up from the surface. This hand was also hidden under a thick, black glove with the same spiked bracelets. Now it was obvious that this thing was trying to get out of the ground. Both of the hands then slammed palms down onto the surface of the earth, and appeared to be pressing down, hard. The ground between the two hands began to bulge, making many narrow cracks between the blades of long grass, revealing the wet dirt underneath. The hands were pushing the rest of this creature's body out of the ground, and this thing definitely did not look like it was going to just ask Impa and Zelda for directions; it looked extremely hostile. Now, a dirt-covered figure immerged from the ground. It looked somewhat human, but it was too enrobed in mud to see what it really was. It stepped out of the hole in which it previously slumbered, and just stood there. This dirt-monster was not moving, and the only thing that was happening to it was the downpour of rain making contact. Suddenly, it threw back its arms, and in a single motion, threw all of the dirt and mud off of its body. What now stood in front of Impa and Zelda was a much more frightening and imposing figure than the so-called dirt-monster.

What stood in front of them were, apparently, the remains of an ancient warrior. It was pretty much a skeleton with some remnants of the uniform it wore back in the days in which it was alive. Although it was a skeleton, which made it look skinny, its massive shoulder armour was a major compensation. It was pitch-black, and rose about two or three inches from the creatures actual bony shoulder. It protected the whole of the shoulder, from the front to the back, and had a thick and sturdy border, painted blood-red and lined with cruel spikes. It had what looked like the tattered remains of a tunic, but only the bottom part, since its rib bones were clearly exposed. All that remained of its clothes was a belt attached to the bottom of the tunic. Its huge boots were similar to its gloves; pitch black with red, spiked anklets. On the skull, there was a small and somewhat useless helmet, which only really covered the crown of its head. This "helmet", like the rest of its armour, was black and had a red, spiked border. The skull was oddly shaped; it had a large and thick mandible, and had usually large teeth (some of which were missing). It eyes constantly glowed a malevolent red, and were fixed on the Hylian princess and her attendant.

It stared maliciously at the two, but didn't say a word.

"A Stalfos…" Impa mumbled. "I thought these had been extinct for hundreds of years!"

The Stalfos chuckled. Although its face never changed, it was clearly amused.

"Ah," it said calmly. It looked above at the dark sky above it in a bit of a rejoice. "For hundreds of years I have waited for this moment. Ever since the Hylians received their first king, we were banished to the land six feet under the soil. The king swore that we should forever sleep in darkness until the monarchy fell. Ha! It seems obvious to me now that the current king has been overthrown."

The Stalfos lowered its head, and moved its eyes upward, and slowly moved them to the right as it thought. "Hm…dead, he is."

"What!" Zelda screamed, almost falling off the horse. "You're lying! You're lying! My father…he can't be…dead…" Zelda gradually went silent, possibly realizing the truth now.

The Stalfos looked at Zelda. "You're father, hm?" It straightened its posture. "So…you must be the princess, eh? Ha ha ha! How ironic! The last of the family bloodline stands right before me upon my return."

It preformed a growling laugh as it outstretched its arms. In a loud puff of black smoke, two items magically appeared in its hands. One was a shield that matched the rest of its armour, and the other was a red sword, in which its blade was oddly jagged.

"Perfect," it chuckled. "What an earning I will get with your head!"

"Just try it, you delusional freak!" shouted Impa as she drew her blade.

This only amused the Stalfos more. "Ah, a Shiekah blade! How I've waited for this…"

It turned around and raised its arms. "Come out, my brothers!" it shouted. "Let us indulge in the blood that stands before us!"

It was silent for a moment. Time seemed to stand still as the rain continued to pour down. The Stalfos was frozen in position, and Impa seemed to be hesitating to strike its back. When Link looked at Zelda, she seemed extremely distressed, and even possibly oblivious to what their enemy was doing. Her face was buried in one of her hands, and her body flinched or jolted very slightly every few seconds. Link figured that she was crying, most likely over the untimely death of her father…or was it the fact that Link had failed her? He didn't know what to think, because he knew Zelda to be a bit complex at times. She was kind of unpredictable, Zelda, being who she was.

Link's thoughts were shattered when he suddenly heard rumbling from the vision. He saw that the ground surrounding Zelda and Impa was dotted with unstable parts of the soil, in which it twisted and churned. The Stalfos looked enigmatically at the moving ground, knowingly tracking their movements. Soon, gloved, skeletal hands burst out of the ground in the exact same fashion in which the first Stalfos did. One by one, they slowly rose up out of the ground, some of them moaning as they did so. Zelda's horse reared in terror as they began to get surrounded. The dozen or so Stalfos lifted their legs out the ground, laughing to themselves as they located the princess. Many of them already had their weapons in hand as they rose from their tombs; others had them appear in their hands once they were completely out of the muddy ground. In mere moments, Zelda and Impa found themselves face to face with a twelve-man battalion of undead soldiers, their red eyes glaring at them with evil intentions.

The first Stalfos turned around, and looked menacingly at his target. He then slowly backed up into the hoard of eager Stalfos, blending in with the rest of them. They impatiently fidgeted and growled as they looked at their enemy, waiting for some kind of signal to attack. Then, supposedly the Stalfos that talked to them earlier, raised its weapons high and roared. The others responded in and ear-piercing screech and began to charge.

There was a large, white flash in the mirror, and when it faded, Link only saw himself, looking right back at him. That was it? That's all that Rauru had to show him? What happened to Zelda?

Link turned to the Sage of Light, who was staring back at him patiently.

"What was that!" Link yelled. "That only brought up more questions!"

"Questions that I fear I cannot answer, Hero of Time," Rauru replied.

"What happened to Zelda?" he asked. "What did those…those things do to her?"

Rauru shook his head. "I know not."

Link grinded his teeth. "What do you mean, 'You know not'? How could you not know? You gave me this vision, you have to know what happened! You're the Sage of Light, aren't you?"

Rauru looked sternly at Link. "What I have just shown you was the exact same vision that I had, the day of the attack. It ended at the exact same point as you experienced, and therefore this is no more information I can give you on Zelda's current status. Link, I do not even know if she is alive."

"Liar!" Link screamed as he drew the Master Sword from its sheath. He pointed it menacingly at his enemy, and did not blink. "You're trying to hide her from me, aren't you? You give me a fake vision and tell me that you don't know what happened to her? What do you take me for?"

Rauru looked at Link seriously, his eyes rarely drifting towards the Master Sword. "Let me assure you, Hero of Time, everything I have told and shown you is nothing but the truth."

"I don't care!" Link shouted. "I don't want this anymore! This whole…mission; I've had it!"

Rauru's eyes narrowed. He said nothing.

Link did not move as he continued to let it all out. "I want thinks back to the way they were…before any of this happened! I don't want to be a hero anymore! I've tried that…and look at the result! Hyrule in ruin…Ganondorf with the Triforce; all I've brought with my 'heroic' deeds is bring death, suffering and misery to my home and my people! I don't want this…nobody ever wanted it! I don't care anymore!" Link's nostrils flared as he looked at Rauru. "You! Change things back! Make them the way they were!"

Now, Rauru seemed to be getting irate. "Link, I…can't…do that," he said through his teeth.

"Bullshit!" Link screamed. "You're trying to screw me over, like everyone else!" He began to take steps toward the Sage of Light, his sword quivering as it began to close in on him. "You're trying to put the responsibility on my shoulders once again, so when everything goes all horribly wrong you have me to take the blame!"

"Don't be foolish, Link!" Rauru said sternly. "You are merely confused and mislead."

"Mislead?" Link roared. "That's what you want me to be, right? Is that what you want? You want me to think I'm doing the right thing when I'm in fact giving Ganondorf what he wants! How do I even know that you aren't one his followers, passing yourself off as the Sage of Light?"

Link grinned as he approached Rauru. "I can see right through you! You're trying to fool me into believing that I'm saving the world and all that, when in fact I'm just doing your bidding, or even Ganondorf's dirty work. I should kill you right here!"

Now Rauru was furious. "That's quite enough, Hero of Time!"

Rauru quickly outstretched his arm in Link's direction, and Link was knocked off his feet. He flew for a second, until landing hard in the middle of the platform. A sharp pain shot up his back because of the impact. Link roared in rage as he scrambled to his feet. He was now certain that Rauru was his enemy, and was to be destroyed before he could do any more. However, when Link tried to charge at him, he was stopped by and invisible force. He now saw that Rauru still had his arm outstretched. This was the exact same technique that Ganondorf used on him at the city gates! Link had never been more infuriated in his life.

"You son of a bitch!" he screamed. "Ganondorf's servant!"

"I want you to go back down to Hyrule and see how much I have 'deceived' you, Hero of Time!" Rauru shouted. "I want you to see how everything you have known is either gone or changed. If I am unable to explain your mission here due to your lack of judgement, then I know someone down there who will. Now, be gone, Hero of Time, and see how much you have to learn!"

Suddenly, there was a large, white flash, and Link no longer found himself supported. He instead found himself falling down uncontrollably through a white void, tumbling endlessly through the nothingness that he was now familiar with.

He continued to fall…back to Hyrule.


	20. A New, Dark World

20

_A New, Dark World_

Link stood there, humiliated and ashamed. He was now back in the Temple of Time, exactly at the point in which he removed the Master Sword from the pedestal. It was no different from when he last saw it, and didn't look like it had been invaded, vandalized, or even touched in these "seven years". It seemed unbelievable to Link, but he couldn't help but accept the fact that even though the Sacred Realm had been mutated into an unimaginable evil energy, the Temple of Time remained sacred and loyal to the powers of good. It somehow carried a spiritual shield that kept evil ones from approaching it after its purpose had been served…at least it was still a stronghold against the wicked.

Link felt horrible after what he said to Rauru. He knew that he couldn't have been a follower of Ganondorf, since Ganondorf didn't think of himself as and evil person, as Rauru had labelled him many times during the explanation. He overreacted, and pretty much made a fool of himself in front of the Sage of Light. He cursed and swore at him to the point where he sent him back to the surface of Hyrule without explaining Link's mission.

Link shook his head violently. He felt guilty for the way he reacted, but he still stood by his decision. He wasn't going to do any more of this hero business, no matter how important everyone else said it was. He was going to live the days that he missed because of what happened like any normal life. He was sick and tired of all this travelling, danger, and near death experiences, and was not going to dive back into the hole just as he was coming out. It was time to let everything go, regardless of the potential consequences. If heroism didn't save the world the first time, what good would it do the second time? Even if he were to try and save Hyrule again, Ganondorf would probably use him for something without him noticing, let alone kill him. The Great King of Evil had the Triforce, and Link knew that it was virtually impossible to defeat him now; he had grown too powerful.

It was time to go home.

Just then, Link realized something was wrong. All this time, he had never seen or heard his guardian fairy, Navi. Where did she go? Link felt his cap to see if there was a familiar lump, but none such thing was present. He looked around the room helplessly as he felt lost and confused. He didn't really see anything better to do than call out her name.

"Navi?" he cried out. "Navi! Where are you?"

He turned around to face the Door of Time, still open. He ran his fingers through his bangs, brushing them back across the top of his head in nervousness. He bit his lip as thoughts of him loosing her began to emerge in his mind.

Suddenly, a familiar squeak was heard behind him. Link spun around to notice a small cerulean glow shining from behind the pedestal. It was then followed by a tiny arm reaching up on top of it, slowly lifting Navi's head into vision. She slowly climbed up on top of the pedestal, and sat down clumsily. She gazed up at Link in wonder and disbelief.

"…Link?" she whispered. "…is that really you?"

Link nodded slowly. Navi's face suddenly lit up, and with a burst of energy, she took flight off of the pedestal. She shot up towards Link until she landed face-first onto his nose. She then began to hug it tightly and rub her face left and right on the bridge of his nose.

"I don't believe it!" she exclaimed. "You're back! You're back! You're back! You're back!"

As Link began to laugh, Navi flew off of his face and hovered inches away. She looked into his eyes in awe.

"How long has it been?"

Link felt perplexed. "How long has it been? What do you mean?"

Navi shook her head. "Don't you remember? I haven't seen you since you pulled the Master Sword out from the pedestal…"

Link took a step back. "What! You mean to tell me that you've been here for seven years?"

Navi looked up. "Only seven? Sheesh…it seemed a lot longer than that…" She smiled. "Well, now you're back, and that's all that matters. The only reason I've been here for so long is because I'm afraid to go outside…all of those monsters…" She looked away in despair. "I basically hibernated the whole time…" She looked back at Link. "It's a good think fairies don't need to eat; let's just say that food is scarce around here."

Navi began to look at Link's new body. "Hm…you really filled out, Link."

Link blushed. "Oh…erm…thanks, I guess."

Navi shrugged. "Well, all that aside, it's nice to see you again. Don't worry about me; time literally flies by when I'm hibernating. A year seems like a day, if you will. So…what are we going to do now? Are we going out to get rid of Ganondorf once and for all or something?"

Link shook his head. "I wish it were that simple. You know he has the Triforce, right?"

Navi shrugged again. "I thought so…seeing as that I could feel major disturbances in the aura of this place after he walked in…"

Link jumped. "You saw him go in?"

Navi nodded. "I hid behind the pedestal when he did. I thought he was going to kill you…"

"Luck he didn't…" Link mumbled. "He merely talked to me and just went ahead and grabbed the Triforce while I was swept away."

"That's what I thought," Navi added. "He came back down, and left this place laughing."

"Well, all that matters now is that he is far too powerful to defeat now, and not even the most powerful force in this land can't overcome it…he is pretty much indestructible."

Navi looked shocked, but at the same time it looked as if she expected it. "I see…" she mumbled. "So…that's it? It's all over?"

Link nodded glumly. "Unfortunately, yes. The Sage of Light says that there is something I can do, but I seriously doubt him."

Just then, a huge ray of light sprang down from the roof of the tower, lighting the entire room in a blinding flash. Link stumbled back and shielded his eyes from the extremely bright radiance that suddenly filled the room as he pondered what it could possibly be. As soon as it was the only thing present in the room, it was gone.

"What was that?" Navi stuttered, blinking around dazedly. As Link began to refocus his eyesight, he noticed something was different. As he looked down on the floor, he spotted something unusual. It was a small, round, golden medallion, lying there with a hallowed radiance. It was about the size of Link's palm, and had a strange symbol engraved into it. As Link slowly approached the mysterious object, he began to recognize the symbol. There were three triangles, arrange in a circular pattern, all pointing towards the centre. Between each one, there was a small circle, making it six shapes in all. Link knew he saw this before, but where? He cautiously reached for the object, as if he were drawn to it by unseen spirits. It beckoned his hand closer, calling out to it as if it desired a master. Its obvious power surged out of it, pulling Link ever so close. His index finger quivered as it closed in on the object. Link shut his eyes as he went all out and touched the medallion.

His eyes opened immediately as he suddenly felt a sharp jolt of energy fly up his arm. It felt like he was being electrocuted as he saw that the medallion glowed a bright yellow as his finger attached to it. The medallion soon separated into sparks of pure energy, and then travelled up his arm. The medal was soon gone, and Link could feel the power flowing up his arm, and eventually throughout the rest of his body. He screamed as it overtook him, sending to his back. Soon, all he could see was yellow light as he jerked and squirmed on the ground. The energy hissed and cracked as it travelled through his body. In a sudden snapping sound, it was gone, now fully sunken in his body. As Link tried to regain his composure, he found his body hardly damaged at all…his clothes weren't even smoking.

"Link!" Navi cried. "Are you alright?"

Link sat up, scratching his head. "Strange…" he mumbled. "I feel…wonderful…"

Link did, in fact, feel quite fantastic. It was as if the sudden event just filled him with a new power…strength even. It was like that strange medallion had given him its power, whatever it was.

"What just happened" asked Navi.

"I…" Link muttered. "…I don't know…"

"I can tell you…" echoed a strange voice throughout the temple walls. When Link turned around, there was no one there. He looked around frantically to see who the owner of that voice was, but had no luck.

"It's me, Link. It's Rauru."

Link looked up once he found that the voice seemed to be coming from above him. Rauru was not visibly present, but Link could feel him near.

"Rauru?" uttered Link. "Is that you?"

"What you have just acquired is my power, Link," Rauru went on. "It is the power of light, and it shall light your way when darkness seems to overcome all."

Link looked at the palms of his hands. "…the power of light? Your power?"

"You now have a sixth of the might of the ancient Sages. When you exit the Temple of Time, more will be explained to you. Good luck, Hero of Time…"

Rauru's voice faded, and was soon gone.

"Yeah…whatever," Link mumbled as he got up from the ground. "You can't control me anymore."

Link looked at Navi, who stared back at him, somewhat perplexed as to who he was just speaking to.

Link grumbled. "Oh, I'll tell you later. Let's just get out of here."

Link turned around and began to head out the Temple of Time, Navi following.

* * *

"_Did you feel that?" he asked._

_The Stalfos looked back at him. "Um…feel what, Lord Kanakana?"_

_Kanakana was sitting on the dead fountain that once flowed with water years ago. His arms were crossed as he looked towards the east. He pointed towards the Temple of Time in the distance._

"_A large rush of energy…over there," Kanakana explained. "Can't you feel it? Something happened."_

_The Stalfos stared dumbly at the looming cathedral. He looked back at Kanakana. "What kind of energy?"_

_Kanakana tilted his head, scanning the polar alignment of the energy. He tapped a finger on his shoulder as he scrutinized the force._

"…_light," he said. "It was an outburst of pure light energy, short but powerful."_

_The Stalfos' mouth opened slightly as he looked at the Temple of Time. "…a…a miracle?"_

_Kanakana exhaled. "Perhaps, but there hasn't been one of those in a long time."_

_The Stalfos chuckled as Kanakana turned around to a small patrol of other ones._

"_You!" he said as he pointed at one of them. "Come with us. We're going to investigate a tear in the spiritual currents."_

"_Sir! Yes, Sir!" called the Stalfos as it separated from its squad._

"_Come on," said Kanakana to the Stalfos he was just talking to. The three then began to calmly travel towards the source of this strange disturbance.

* * *

_

Link collapsed to his knees once he exited the Temple of Time. His eyes wandered hopelessly as his breathing and heart rate increased. His jaw quivered as it hung helplessly. Everywhere he looked, terror struck him hard. Everything he knew…everything he cherished was now made a mockery of.

Hyrule Castle Town was no longer as friendly as it used to be. It had been transformed into a blissful, bustling city, into an empty and treacherous military stronghold. The city was still smoking, rotting in only a shadow of its former glory. Every building around him was either a pile of rubble or something that wasn't there before. There were many old houses that had walls blown apart and rooms filled with bricks and other rubble. Almost all of them were without roofs, blown apart by the besiegement seven years ago. Although many of them were either gone or partially destroyed, some were actually used for other things. Scattered throughout the city, destroyed houses with white bricks were used as a base for other structures made with black ones. Now the city was dotted with added-on watch towers, outposts, barracks, prisons, and weapon-manufacturing blacksmiths, each having architecture with a sinister twist. Throughout the walls of the city, occasional snarls and clanks of armour were heard, making Link aware of the fact that this place was crawling with enemies. This place used to be colourful, but now it sported a monotone grey, darkness shrouding any colour present. The sky was charred, under a sinful overcast created by the pure hatred of all things righteous. A howling wind roared throughout the lifeless citadel, blowing dead leaves that were once part of the now naked and skeletal trees. It was everything he knew, withered and decaying into a pit of darkness, buckled by Ganondorf and his evil will.

Trembling all over, Link managed to get off of his knees, despite the bewilderment and disbelief that flowed through his veins alongside his freezing blood. He was so perturbed he almost fell right back down on his face when he tried to keep his balance. Navi was completely silent as Link began to proceed down the steps that led to the Temple of Time's front garden. Link could feel the coldness of the steps right through the soles of his boots as he slowly made his way down into the smouldering city. A drop of sweat trickled past the back of his ear and made its way down the side of his cheek, despite how cold it really was here. Link was just growing nervous as he considered the possibilities of what could be laying it wait for him. He walked off the final step, and walked down the seemingly endless dirt path towards the deceased metropolis. When Link looked, he noticed that the beautiful pools of water that bordered the dirt path were now completely empty, and were now covered in dirt and mud, taking out the unique sparkle they added to the cathedral's impression. The neatly tended grass was now scarce, and all that remained was a large field of dry dirt and a few blades of withered grass poking out here and there. Link could smell the stench of death and smoke in every square inch of the air. It was as if a giant tornado of darkness had just ripped through the city in what seemed like hours for Link, when in fact this all happened over several years.

Link made his way down the smaller set of steps that led to the broken brick road of the city. He almost tripped once he realized how uneven they had gotten over the years. He bit his lip as he began to see the devastated town from the inside. He looked down the road in which he ran down seven years ago in order to get to the Temple of Time.

As he continued to stare down, he began to see three figures emerge from the mist. Link squinted as he tried to make them out. They were obviously foes, but Link had to figure out what kind. The two on the left and right seemed somewhat skinny, but had huge shoulders, and appeared to be carrying broad shields and jagged swords. They limped somewhat as they walked, giving them a sluggish look. Link backed up a step when he concluded that these things were what attacked Zelda and Impa in the vision Rauru gave him; Stalfos. The figure in the middle was slightly taller, and had a smoother step than the Stalfos. It sported what looked like a large trench coat, and had a dark aura surrounding it. Link began to frantically look around for a place to hide once he found out that this was Kanakana himself. He found a stack of old wooden boxes alongside a wrecked house, and figured it was the best place. He dashed quickly towards it, and at the same time gestured to Navi to follow stealthily. Navi got the message, and immediately perused him closely. Link crouched as he made his way around to the other side of the old, decomposing boxes. Navi quickly scurried under his cap to hide her glow. Link sat there, silently listening to any sounds that would give the approaching enemies away. Although Link could feel Kanakana's presence from a mile away, he had to know how close he really was. Despite the fact that Link had never really encountered the man in person, he knew that he was highly hostile to enemies of his master. He decided to go prone, just for safety's sake. When he slid to his stomach, he winced at the intense iciness of the stone road. When he opened his eyes, he noticed a small space between two boxes, just big enough for him to look through. Link was thankful that he had this opportunity to look through into the dark abyss that lay in front of him, and hopefully spot his enemies walk by.

It was soon silent again, and the only thing that Link could hear was the soft stir of his breath. His heart beats soon came into play; a drum line for the melody of moving air his breath created. The coldness of the ground brought a harmony that made the whole mix inhomogeneous, however. He had his chin resting on his arm to keep the ice-cold ground from freezing his entire head. He apprehensively looked through the opening, still listening as well. He didn't know why he was shivering; if it were simply the cold or the eerie feeling that came over him when he did not know where the enemy was. However, he didn't think he would, but he began to shake even more when he began to hear the footsteps of his advancing foes. He could hear the muffled stomp of the Stalfos' shoes, and the clank of the metal soles of Kanakana's boots. They started off silent, and slowly grew louder as they drew close, like a drum being beaten louder as the mood of the performance grew more intense. Link could feel a drop of sweat hit his left eyebrow and trickle across to the other side, and down just barely to the left of his eye. His lips curled in and out frequently as his heart throbbed intensely as the footsteps grew dangerously close. He could swear that it was only a matter of seconds until he could see them go by, and indeed, he saw them.

First, he saw the ripped and frayed boots of a Stalfos walk inches by the boxes in which Link was hiding, almost making him jump, but Link was careful not to. This one went by quickly because it was so close, but the second Stalfos' legs when by a little more slowly because they were further away. Link watched fearfully as they slowed down slightly, but then thankfully sped up and went out of view. Last, but certainly not least, was the dark general himself, Kanakana. Link saw his boots first, followed by his pitch-black trench coat. The intimidating click of his boots jolted through Link's body with each step. His steps were so smooth and mysterious…it was like a river of black darkness, just flowing right by Link's eyes. Link was inches from jumping out of his skin when they suddenly halted, right in the centre of Link's field of view. The trench coat glided to the sides of Kanakana's legs, now making only the coat visible. Link remained where he was, but was unsure what to do. If he were to move, Kanakana would surely spot and kill him on sight. However, by the looks of it, Kanakana sensed his presence here, and it was only a matter of time until he located him. He was rather ominous, the way he stood there. It was as if he was testing him, just to see what he would do in this kind of a situation. Link knew if you were just on patrol duty for seven years, you were bound to get bored.

"You two!" he barked. "Get back over here!"

Link heard the rushing footsteps of the Stalfos returning to their superior. Within moments, their boots were now in sight.

"What is it, my lord?" inquired one of them.

Kanakana paused. Link wasn't sure if he was looking around, because all he could see were the lower parts of his legs, and they remained perfectly still. On the other hand, Link felt as if he were being watched, as if he were already spotted. He could almost see Kanakana looking in his direction from the other side of the boxes.

"…breathing," Kanakana muttered. "…I can hear breathing…somewhere in this area…"

Link covered his mouth. He forgot that he was breathing rather loudly just now. Had Kanakana really heard him? He tried his best to hold his breath as he continued to listen on what they were saying.

"Search this area," ordered Kanakana. "There is someone here, hiding. Turn over everything; I want every corner checked, understand?"

With a few stutters and grunts of hesitation from the Stalfos, they responded. "Yes, Sir!"

The two Stalfos clumsily headed toward the opposite side of the street, in search of Link. At least this bought him some time. However, when Link was considering sneaking out of here, he noticed that Kanakana was calmly pacing around this side of the street, possibly searching, himself. Link had no idea what he was going to do now. He had himself in quite a pickle. If he stayed quiet, he might avoid the well-tuned senses of Kanakana, but it was only a matter of time before the Stalfos knocked down Link's cover and exposed him. Link felt helpless and vulnerable at the hands of a merciless enemy. However, he did not feel any better when he felt the sudden urge to sneeze. The dust from the street had gathered by his nostrils, which were now irritated. He couldn't help it; it was too intense. He tried to find some way to avoid sneezing, but he did not see any. He knew that Kanakana and maybe even the Stalfos were going to hear him, but what was he going to do. He rolled his eyes as he buried his mouth in his hands. The sneeze was muffled, but was very prominent amongst the uneasy silence, nonetheless.

Kanakana and the two Stalfos jumped slightly (more so the Stalfos), and turned precisely to where Link was hiding. When Kanakana spun around, he slid his metal soles along the brick road, making small sparks as he did so along with an ear-piercing screech. His trench coat whipped around his legs until falling loosely behind them. It was dead silent for a moment, and Link could feel every drop of sweat drip down the back of his neck as he just lay there and watched, not drawing in a single breath.

Kanakana roared, and immediately after Link saw his legs bend slightly, all of the boxes were flung to Link's left, crashing and tumbling down into a heap of broken wood. When Link looked at Kanakana, his arm was outstretched in the same direction, revealing that he used telekinesis to knock the boxes over. Now exposed, Link scurried into a sitting position and scampered into the nearby wall in fear. He breathed hard as Kanakana stared at him, dark and faceless. The two Stalfos behind him began to snarl at their newfound enemy. The area around them seemed to darken as Kanakana spoke.

"Hm…I haven't seen you around before, kid," he said as he let his arm fall by his side. "Are you a new recruit?"

Link knew that Kanakana already knew the answer to this question, but he remained silent as he pressed his back even harder against the wall.

"I didn't think so, peasant!" Kanakana roared as he pointed an angry finger at Link. "You know the law, don't you? No one who is not in the military ranks is permitted inside here, under penalty of death!"

Link jumped at the word "death".

"Well, young fool, it seems as if you will pay the ultimate price for your actions. May your death be quick and painless!"

Kanakana issued a gesture towards the two Stalfos behind him. They snarled and hissed in delight as they readied their weapons and charged.

Link was not about to die without a fight. Kanakana would be sorry he left him armed when he made this order. He stood up with pride and confidence, even if he were staring death in the face. He calmly withdrew the Master Sword, making a long, singing sound as it was pulled from its sheath. While Link's hand was still back there, he found that the Hylian shield was a lot lighter than it was when he was a child. In fact, he actually pulled it off his back, and was able to carry it on one arm. He then got ready as the Stalfos burst right past Kanakana, and one got a little further ahead than the other. Link bared his teeth as the one in front raised its jagged sword.

The Stalfos sliced its sword downward, but only made contact with the Master Sword in which Link quickly stationed. The Stalfos began to press down on Link's sword with two of its arms, making them both quiver as they put in all of their strength. This Stalfos was much stronger than it looked, so Link put his shield underneath of his sword to apply double pressure on the Stalfos' blade, just to keep it from gaining the offensive. It growled and roared as it tried harder and harder to push Link back. One of Link's eyes squinted shut as he began to apply all of his might into the struggle to keep his enemy at bay. With his open eye, however, Link was shocked to find the other Stalfos charging at him from the left, eyes aglow with rage, sword drawn back. Link had to act quickly if he were going to get out of this mess alive. As the Stalfos sped towards him, Link speedily thought up of a plan. Link timed himself carefully, and just when the other Stalfos was about to strike down, Link quickly jumped to the right, out of the other Stalfos' push. It stumbled forward due to the sudden lack of support, and looked up in terror at the other Stalfos' sword, already in motion towards its head. Its partner accidentally cut its head clean off, with a large array of sparks at it severed right through the bone. The other Stalfos panicked as its partner's head clunked to the ground. Its body shivered, and since it had no head to control its body, it basically collapsed into a pile of bones and armour. The Stalfos that was still alive looked at Link in unlimited fury because of the humiliation he just put it through. It roared and charged at his foe. It aggressively but sluggishly hacked and slashed at Link, trying to break his defences, and was almost succeeding. The blows from the Stalfos were so strong; Link had a hard time keeping his sword and shield steady with each blow. Link began to take steps back as the Stalfos began to take the offensive. It chuckled sinisterly as it wailed Link's sword as hard as it could, sending him back a few steps. It then raised its sword above its head and roared as it prepared for the final blow. Link, having much quicker instincts than the Stalfos, ran and dive-rolled under the Stalfos' legs just before it made full contact with his head. Link got back into a crouching position as he turned around at the Stalfos. It looked around dim-wittedly as it tried to figure out where his enemy went. Link wasted no time, and using the hand gripping the Master Sword, which was already drawn back, slashed it across the backbone. The Stalfos hollered in agony as blue sparks flew out from its back, leaving a bright blue gash. So, this must've been the Master Sword's power at work. The Stalfos dropped its weapons and began stumbling around, holding its back in pain. When in turned around and faced Link, he did not hesitate to stab it right through the ribs. The Stalfos gasped wheezed as blue sparks fizzed out of its eyes and mouth. Link quickly withdrew the sword and kicked the Stalfos square in the chest, sending it flying into the nearby wall, shattering its body into a pile of bones.

Link turned around, and looked darkly at Kanakana, who stared back at him just the same. He was pretty much motionless, possibly impressed. His fingers moved slightly every second or so, mostly his middle and index finger, calmly scuffing against each other. The wind that roared through the streets flowed through Kanakana's coat, causing it to wave to the side, almost like a flag caught in a light breeze. Although Link tried his best to keep his face looking fearless, it was hard to maintain it in Kanakana's presence. There was just something about him that struck fear into Link's heart like a white hot spear. Link could almost feel the darkness flowing out of him, infecting his soul. It was like looking at a rotting corpse that had just died in front of Link's eyes, only worse. Link pondered if Kanakana had a face at all under that steel plated mask of his. If he did, Link really hoped that he wasn't smiling. Link wished that Kanakana would just back off…just this once. However, he seemed pretty intent on taking Link out once he lifted his head slightly.

"Well done, young warrior," Kanakana complimented. "I must admit, you are much more cunning than I made you out to be."

Kanakana slowly brought his arms up to chest level, crossing them over in an "X" formation. He then violently flung them back down to his sides, and with two loud screeches, two black elbow blades appeared in his hands. He then found his fighting stance, but did not take his gaze off of Link. One arm was held horizontally across face level, while the other fist met with the other, and the arm was more vertical than the other. This position finally made Link understand how elbow blades really worked. An elbow blade was kind of like a short sword, except that instead of the blade extending away from the hilt, it went directly to the side. The blades were about the length of Kanakana's forearms, making them excellent defensive weapons. When Kanakana held them, the broad sides of the blades covered his forearms; therefore all he had to do to defend himself was to put his forearm in the way of anything that attacked him. Link had no clue how he was going to attack, but he was sure he was going to find out. Link's heart raced as Kanakana seemed perfectly ready for a good fight.

"Well, swordsman," said Kanakana. "Let's see how well you do against Dark Sheikah fighting techniques!"

Link was now ready for anything. With his sword and shield in hand, he charged at his enemy. He wasn't even thinking about what he was getting into, or whether or not he was going to live, but he didn't care. He was going to fight Kanakana, regardless of the outcome. He raised his sword and struck when he was in range. Kanakana deflected Link's attack with such strength that the Master Sword literally bounced back in Link's direction, making him stumble back a few steps. Link braced himself for Kanakana to counterattack, but when he opened his eyes, he found his enemy in the exact same position he saw him last, exhaling. Link was perplexed as to what Kanakana was doing, but he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip. He took his weapons and charged again. When he struck, the same result happened, but this time Link tried not to stumble back and immediately swung from a different direction. Kanakana seemed impossibly quick to get his weapons in the way of Link's attacks, but it was hard to deny it. Link continued to desperately try and get a good hit on Kanakana, but it was like there was some kind of a force field around him, because Link didn't even come close. What made it even worse was that it didn't look like Kanakana was even trying hard. Link bit his lip as he began to feel helpless as he continued to struggle against Kanakana. One last valiant but failed attempt to strike the enemy general, and Kanakana made his move. When Link's sword was deflected back, he quickly jabbed Link in the forehead with the blunt end of his elbow blade. Intense pain travelled through Link's head as he held his forehead in agony. Everything seemed to go all blurry for a moment or two, and when his eyes regained focus, he suddenly realized that both of Kanakana's legs were on either side of his neck. Link's foe brutally twisted his legs, making Link flip over and land on his back. Link tried his best to ignore the pain as he struggled to get back up, but it eventually got to him. He collapsed onto his back, and was pretty much unable to move due to the aching pain in his back. He looked over at Kanakana, who was slowly making his way towards him.

Kanakana was playfully twirling one of his weapons in his hand as he casually strolled over to his fallen opponent. His clicking of his metal soles echoed throughout Link's brain every time they were heard. Link breathed hard as Kanakana let one of his weapons dangle dangerously over his head. Kanakana chuckled.

"Well, maybe you weren't the warrior I thought you were, after all. I must say, I'm disappointed," he laughed. "Well, no matter. I wouldn't expect you to destroy me, anyway. Now…" he growled as he raised his blade menacingly over Link's head. "Be gone!"

Link cringed and waited for the end, but just when he thought Kanakana's blade was going to pierce right through his skull, something else happened. When Link opened his eyes, he was bewildered at what he saw. Kanakana was grunting and cursing as he held his shoulder. When Link looked, he noticed that here was a piece of metal sticking out of it, and a drop of blood was leaking out of the hole it created in Kanakana's coat. He grumbled as he viciously yanked it out of his shoulder. He looked at the bloody piece of metal, and so did Link. This was no ordinary piece of metal; this was crafted for the use of combat. It was sort of like an arrowhead, except a lot more cruelly shaped. It was long and narrow, with a very sharp point at the end. It was basically a very thin rod with an elongate triangle at the end, which only extended to one side. The bottom part of the actually blade curved into another nasty point, and had a hole in the middle. This looked like it would hurt a lot if it were suddenly shot into you.

Kanakana looked at it in his shaking hand. In rage, he suddenly crushed it in his hand.

"Impossible…" he muttered under his breath.

Kanakana abruptly yelped as another needle pierced the back of his right thigh. He growled in pain as he cautiously felt the metal sticking out. He ripped it out and threw it on the ground.

"WHAT?" he screamed out loud as blood gushed out of the back of his leg. "Where are you?" he yelled into the distance. Suddenly, a huge wave of these needles came flying. One by one, they hit Kanakana all over his body. He stumbled around as these needles pierced every appendage, and even his torso. He eventually collected himself and sprinted to the right, needles still whizzing by. He dove behind a wall, making a few needles bounce off the bricks instead of him. Link flinched as one needle almost hit him as well.

Suddenly, the spray of needles stopped, and Link could hear Kanakana grumbling and growling, along with a few small clanks of metal. It seemed as if he were yanking all of the needles out of his body. Link tried to look around to see where these needles were coming from, but found nothing. Who or what was throwing these things, and furthermore, why were they trying to help Link?

Kanakana emerged from his hiding place in a rage. It seemed as if he had finally met a match. He walked into the middle of the street, drops of blood pouring down his coat. Link was surprised there wasn't another downpour of needles.

"Come out! Show yourself!" he called out. "Coward!" he screamed. "Fight me like a true warrior!"

There was silence for a moment or two, and Kanakana stood still, waiting. Link was still unable to move, however, so he could only watch what was happening around him. He looked into the background, but still saw no one revealing themselves. Had this person fled? Was he now on his own to die at the hands of the enemy general? The familiar feelings of hopelessness came back to him as he doubted more and more that this person would show themselves. He could hear Kanakana breathing, for even he seemed to have his doubts. However, Kanakana seemed to have his sights fixed on a certain area. It was the ruins of an old restaurant, the sign above it barely even readable anymore. The paint was cracked and worn, and stray bricks were scattered all around it. The glass on the windows was no longer there, and maybe some traces of it were somewhere around it.

Out of the blue, a small sound of smashing glass came from inside the building, and Kanakana reacted immediately. He reached into one of the pockets in his coat, and pulled out a round, black object. He pulled something out of it, and threw it in the direction of the old restaurant. It went right through the window, and landed somewhere inside. A few moments passed, and then Link could suddenly hear rushed footsteps coming from the restaurant. Link would've flinched if he was not hurting so much when a person dove out of the window and rolled when they hit the ground, just before a loud explosion was heard. The next thing Link knew, the restaurant was up in flames, and a few parts of that wall were blown away. When Link looked over to who jumped out, the person was in the strangest crouching position. Their head was almost touching the ground, one hand had its fingers pressed firmly into the ground, while the other was behind the person's back. One leg was more forward than the other, making it look like the person was going to sprint any second. This stance looked like one that would belong to an ancient and unpredictable warrior. It looked like the person was waiting for Kanakana to do something, but the evil general simply stood there, staring at the person. Realizing that Kanakana wasn't going to do anything, the mysterious person stood up, letting Link see their characteristics.

Link could immediately conclude that this person was a slim, young man. Although he was slender, he was athletically built. Most of what he wore was a dark blue skin-tight full-body suit, with variations to the colour in certain areas, bordered by white lines. He wore a tattered white cloth over his torso, back, and the bottom half of his face, hiding his mouth. On the fabric on his torso, there was a strange design: from what Link could see, it was an eye, with three triangular eyelashes above it, along with a large tear of blood. What could it represent? Link noticed that this guy had many bandages on his body, but Link didn't think they were from injury. Bandages were wrapped on his forearms, and the ends of all of his fingers except for his thumbs. Also, bandages were wrapped around the top of his head as well, letting very little of his head visible. His bangs were golden; similar to Link's, but a little longer. They hung to about where his chin was, but it was kind of hard to tell seeing as that his chin was hidden under the white cloth. His bangs were parted in such a way that one half covered his left eye, letting only the right one visible. His eyes were cold…mysterious and somewhat ominous. His irises were a feral blood red, giving a wild contrast with the softness of his visage.

Kanakana looked at the man in both disgust and bewilderment.

"Unbelievable," he said. "For all of these years, hidden right under my nose, there is another one. I thought you were all gone except for that one, the one who live in Hyrule Castle quite a few years ago." Kanakana began laughing. "Another Sheikah! Who would've thought?"

Link raised his head off of the ground. A Sheikah? Is that what this guy was? Where did he come from? Why was he helping him?

The Sheikah looked at Kanakana silently, but he did not remain that way for long. He pointed a finger at Kanakana and spoke.

"A Dark Sheikah such as yourself shouldn't think so highly of himself after attacking an innocent."

The Sheikah's voice was smooth, calm, and somewhat medium pitched.

Kanakana chuckled. "A Dark Sheikah?" he pondered. "And what exactly does that make you? After all, the Sheikah are people of the Shadow, are they not?"

The Sheikah's eyes narrowed. "Maybe so, but we do not embrace the twisted ways of evil. We fight for the better cause; we are selfless. We fight to protect others; not fight for our own enjoyment!"

Kanakana laughed. "Wise words from a fool. Well, young Sheikah…" He began to raise his elbow blades. "Allow me to show you…"

He got into his fighting position once again. "…just what true darkness really is!"

The Sheikah flinched and quickly withdrew his knife. He crouched down and held it horizontally across his eyes. Kanakana wasted no time in taking the offensive, and he literally leapt off the ground and flew towards his new opponent. The mysterious Sheikah did not budge as Kanakana thrust his weapons forward. When they made contact, a large clang was heard when the Sheikah deflected both of Kanakana's weapons with his knife. However, Kanakana prevented the Sheikah from doing any more by kneeing him in the stomach, followed by a dropkick to the chest, sending the Sheikah slamming into a wall. Kanakana laughed as he approached the apparently unconscious Sheikah. Just like that, it seemed as if the battle was already over. When Kanakana was mere inches from the Sheikah, he suddenly opened his eyes and lashed out. He sprung off the ground in an instant, and managed to put his foot forward and make contact with an unsuspecting Kanakana. He flew a little bit, but instead of landing on his back like the Sheikah did, he landed straight on his feet. The second Kanakana looked up, the Sheikah was already making his way towards him. The way he ran was strange: he stayed low, and barely had enough room to make his legs go forward. However, he still moved quite fast, and could possible outrun Link. The that carried the knife was drawn aback, and the other hand was clenched in a fist except for the index and middle finger, which were extended straight out across the Sheikah's eye level. This might have been a way for the Sheikah to judge where to strike, like a crosshair. The Sheikah leapt up and struck Kanakana with a series of blows from his knife. Kanakana quickly blocked his attacks, but did not have a chance to attack back, seeing as this Sheikah was slightly quicker than him. A few more hits and the Sheikah made his move. He faked a shot at the enemy general, and while Kanakana was fooled into trying to block it, the Sheikah used this time window to grab Kanakana's wrists, and swing under his legs, taking Kanakana's hands with him. Kanakana grunted as he was forced to bend over as his hands were thrust between his legs. The Sheikah let go of his wrists, and flipped onto Kanakana's back. Before he let the Dark Sheikah do anything to fling him off, the Sheikah stationed his feet on either side of Kanakana's neck and locked them in place. Kanakana straightened his posture and tried to wrench the Sheikah's feet off of him. Before Kanakana had any success, the Sheikah leaned back and planted his hands into the ground, just behind Kanakana's feet. Link saw the Sheikah cringe as he summoned up a lot of energy. Kanakana was lifted off of the ground as the Sheikah began to flip over and bring his feet back to the ground. Kanakana cursed as he was flung upside down and then slammed into the brick road with a spray of debris and dust. The Sheikah, now back on his feet, backed up a few steps as he tried to peer through the billowing dust. It was silent for a moment, and Link could already feel hope that Kanakana had been finally defeated. However, that hope swiftly faded when Kanakana flew out of the dust in a blind rage. He landed a hard kick on the Sheikah's shoulder, who grunted and stumbled back, holding his shoulder in pain. Kanakana was about to cut his head off with his elbow blade, but the Sheikah barely raised his knife in time. Frustrated, Kanakana once again booted the Sheikah in the chest, sending him tumbling down the street. Link bit his lip as he saw the Sheikah get stopped violently by a dead tree. However, it looked like he was far from out when he immediately grabbed a branch and swung himself up into the tree to hopefully get the high ground. Kanakana roared and flung his elbow blades in the Sheikah's direction with perfect accuracy. The Sheikah gasped and leapt out of the tree just before Kanakana's weapons ripped through the tree's dead branches like saw blades. The Sheikah landed back on the ground in his crouching position again, and looked ready for anything as the sliced branches fell to the cold ground behind him. Kanakana moved his hands backward quickly, and the Sheikah looked back in horror as he saw the general's weapons coming back in the opposite direction. He acted quickly, and sprung off the ground and flipped over the weapons just before they tore right through his body. The weapons returned to Kanakana's hands, once again bewildered by this Sheikah's skill.

Link expected Kanakana to come back at the Sheikah in a blind rage, but instead, he did the exact opposite. Kanakana let withdrew his weapons back into his sleeves and crossed his arms. He stared intently at his opponent, who stood there dumbfounded at his actions.

"Hm…a fine warrior you are, young Sheikah. I must admit I underestimated you." He began to stroke his metal chin. "Ah…it would be a shame to rid the world of such a well trained fighter such as you. Hm…what to do…"

Kanakana suddenly eyed Link. Link was afraid that he was going to kill him now, only realizing now that he was still lying here. Link felt somewhat weak to be in the presence of warriors such as these. Kanakana turned back to the Sheikah, and pointed at Link.

"Is he with you?"

The Sheikah's eyes widened as he looked at Link, crippled and unable to move on the icy ground. Link looked back at the Sheikah desperately. If he said the truth and said that he was not with him, then Kanakana would sure kill him. However, at the same time, Link wasn't even sure what was going to happen to both of them if he lied and said that he was. The Sheikah looked at Link with quivering eyes. Link couldn't say anything to him, because Kanakana was too unpredictable to risk anything. The Sheikah turned back to Kanakana.

"Yes, he's with me," said the Sheikah. "We snuck in here to see if we could do some damage."

"Ah," Kanakana muttered. "You created an energy tear to lure me here, followed by a warrior for a diversion, and then you tried to kill me. Although I would consider that high treason, I'm impressed."

Kanakana rested his chin on his fist, thinking. He stared at the Sheikah, tilting his head side to side as he tried to come up with a conclusion. He eventually shrugged.

"Tell you what," he said. "I'll let you two go for now, and we'll pretend this never happened."

Kanakana turned around and jumped. He flew an incredible height, and landed on a nearby building. The blackness of the sky mixed well with his dark aura. The howling wind blew his coat to the side, giving him an intimidating look.

"If I were you…" he called over his back. "I'd leave this place immediately. Otherwise, the military might grow aware of your presence, and believe me; our troops are not as understanding as I am."

With that, Kanakana hopped off the building to the other side, and was gone. Link could now breathe easier now that the main threat had seemingly fled. He could feel his heart rate returning to normal as most fear leaked out of him and trickled into the dirt spaces between the bricks of the road. He closed his eyes and thanked whoever it was up there who helped him get out of that mess. He was concentrating on his breathing so much that he almost forgot of the Sheikah to his left. When he opened his eyes and looked, he saw the strange warrior swiftly approaching him. His steps were smooth and graceful; stealthy at the same time. Link still did not know who this person was, and was unsure whether or not to trust him. The Sheikah got close to him and kneeled beside him. He cautiously slipped his hand under Link's head and placed the other one on his stomach. He slowly eased Link up into a sitting position, and Link could feel dizzy already due to the sudden change in position.

"Are you alright?" said the Sheikah. Link wanted to say something, but all that came out of his mouth was a series of grunts and groans. The Sheikah sighed, and began to fiddle around in some of the pouches he had attached by his waist. He reached into one, and pulled out a small vial. It contained a strange liquid, red in colour. It glowed somewhat, but only modestly. Link looked at it in wonder as the Sheikah carefully unscrewed the lid of the vial. He tugged it a little bit, and it was yanked of, creating a small puff of red smoke.

"Here," said the Sheikah. "Drink this. It should make you feel better."

The Sheikah gently grabbed Link's chin and pulled it downward, opening his mouth. He began to ease the spout of the vial towards it, but stopped suddenly.

"Well, I should warn you," he said. "It doesn't taste very good, but just try to swallow it, and you should be able to stand up, okay?"

He inserted the spout of the vial into Link's mouth, and then tipped it over slightly, letting its contents flow out. Link nearly gagged at the horrible and strong taste of the substance, but followed the Sheikah's orders by swallowing it. After the last drop went down, the Sheikah removed the vial from his mouth and let it disappear into the pouch in which it came from. He then stood up and looked at Link intently.

He could start to feel energy returning to him, and the pain in the various places in which Kanakana hurt him was beginning to fade rapidly. Soon, in a matter of seconds, Link felt like he was able to stand up. When he tried, he was bewildered at how much strength had returned to him. He got up on his feet in an instant, and stared at the Sheikah, who backed off slowly.

"Look," said Link. "I have no idea –"

"Who I am?" the Sheikah cut him off. "Quite natural for you to inquire that, Hero of Time."

Link flinched. "Hero of Time? How do you know that?"

The Sheikah chuckled. "I have my ways. Let's just say I'm wise in the events that happened to you over the years, Link."

This was preposterous. How did this Sheikah know his name, and his apparent title?

"Well, allow me to formally introduce myself," said the Sheikah. "I am Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah."

"Sheik, hm?" mumbled Link. "Well, Sheik, if that is your real name, it's been a pleasure meeting you, and thanks for helping me out back there. I'll be seeing you around."

Link turned around and began heading out of the city, when Sheik spoke again behind him.

"Hmph…when I see you holding that mythical blade, you really do look like the Hero of Time…"

Link turned around, seeing Sheik standing there with his arms crossed.

"It's a shame, really," he continued. "You don't seem to act like the chosen one."

Link snorted. "Well, maybe you've got the wrong guy, perhaps?"

The bottom of Sheik's eyes lifted up, signalling that he was grinning slightly. "Possibly, but the sword in your hand says otherwise."

Link briefly looked at the Master Sword, and then glanced back at Sheik.

"Look, just what do you want? Food? Money? I can get it for you if you'll just get off my back."

Sheik laughed. "I desire nothing you have to offer, Link. I merely wish to help you."

"Help me?" Link laughed. "Help me with what, getting home? Sorry, Sheik, but I think I can help myself when it comes in that."

"I'm sure you can," Sheik agreed. "But I wasn't referring to that."

Link sniffed. "Then what?"

Sheik looked at Link carefully. "Tell me, Hero of Time, when you were being briefed in the Temple of Light a few hours ago, did Rauru ever get around to telling you what your mission is?"

Link shook his head. "He never mentioned it."

Sheik tapped his chin. "Well, I guess I'm going to have to explain it. You see, Link…" he said as he began to get ready for a long explanation. "When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call upon those who are destined to be Sages."

"Sages?" Link repeated. "You mean…like a new generation of them?"

Sheik nodded. "Precisely. These chosen few each dwell in one of the five temples throughout Hyrule."

Sheik began to slowly pace towards Link. "One in a deep forest…" he began. He slowly began to walk around Link. "One on a high mountain…" he went on. Link wasn't looking at him, only listening. "One under a vast lake…" Sheik continued. Link was starting to figure out somewhat where these places were. "One within the house of the dead…" Sheik added with an ominous tone. "One inside a goddess of the sand…" he finished.

Sheik completed his circle around Link, and stared at him from the front. He looked very serious as he looked at Link with his uncovered eye. Link wasn't sure if he could see out of the other eye with all that hair in the way, but it didn't matter.

"Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world..." Sheik appeared to be smiling again. "Have you ever heard of this legend?"

Link shook his head.

"It is the legend of the temples, passed down by my folk, the Sheikah. It has been passed down from generations to generations. It's basically died out over the years after the Great War, after the race that passed it down was exterminated."

"I'm sorry," said Link, trying to be courteous.

"Do you believe in the legend, Link?" asked Sheik.

Link hesitated. "I…I'm not sure. There's not a lot of evidence behind it. How am I supposed to believe it?"

"And even then…" Sheik added.

"…how am I supposed to trust you?" Link finished.

Sheik laughed. "Excellent. Excellent. You truly have the wits of a hero, Link. Indeed, with all that has happened, how would you be able to trust anyone? It is an unfortunate coincidence, isn't it? I guess trust grows over time, doesn't it?"

"I suppose so," Link agreed.

"We'll just wait for it to develop, then. In the mean time, let me explain a little more with what the legend of the temples has to do with the defeat of Ganondorf."

Sheik scratched his head as he tried to think up of a way of explaining it to Link.

"You see, when Ganondorf returned to Hyrule with the Triforce, he knew that there was now no power in the world that could destroy him, because he now wielded the power of the gods themselves," Sheik explained. "However, when he learned of the legend of the temples, which I assume was done through Kanakana's knowledge, Ganondorf grew fearful of what consequences would befall upon him if the combined power of the six Sages were used against him. To prevent this from happening, Ganondorf ordered besiegement on the five elemental temples of Hyrule, claiming and harnessing their power as his own. His power now radiates from the temples, and because of this, the five chosen ones can not hear the awakening call from the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf wants to keep it this way, so he left each temple to be guarded by his most powerful and most feared disciples. These are the five evil guardians of Ganondorf's power, and they must be destroyed if the Sages are to be awakened. Do you understand?"

Link nodded. "I understand."

"You know what needs to be done?"

"Yes."

"So, Link," Sheik said in a familiar tone. "Do you believe in the legend?"

Link hesitated again. "Well…I guess so. Yeah."

"Then you have no choice," Sheik responded. "You must find the five temples, destroy their guardians, and awaken the Sages."

Link nodded. "Okay," he said. "I believe you, but you have to promise me that this will work, because I'm not making the same mistake."

"Trust me, Link," Sheik responded. "You are not being guided by a child anymore."

Link nodded, understanding what Sheik meant.

Sheik crossed his arms. "One Sage is waiting for the time of awakening in the Forest Temple. The Sage is a girl I'm sure you know."

Link jumped forward. "Saria! She's…a Sage?"

"I cannot say," said Sheik. "I do not know the Kokiri folk well enough to know their names."

"I she alright?" Link asked Sheik as he grabbed him by the shoulders. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine, for now, Hero of Time," Sheik responded. "She will be in danger tomorrow; I've foreseen it. However, that is unfortunately the time when we shall rescue her. For now, I suggest you find a place to stay and get some rest," he said as he patted Link on the shoulder, encouraging him to let go. "I will see you again in the morning. Then, I will explain more. Don't worry; I will find you, wherever you decide to stay."

Sheik turned around and began to walk forward, increasing the distance between him and Link. Once he was about ten feet away from him, he turned around and faced him.

"It is currently 1:00 in the afternoon, despite what it looks like here. Get out of the city, and enjoy your day. Make sure you have a place to stay by nightfall, because things get pretty rough after dark these days."

Sheik reached into his pocket, and pulled out a strange looking nut. It was about the same size as Link's fist; a rather large size for a nut. Its shell was a chestnut brown, and was split slightly down the middle, revealing a rather brightly shining core.

"I will see you tomorrow, Hero of Time," said Sheik. "Good luck!"

Sheik threw the nut downward into the ground, and suddenly there was a bright white flash that almost blinded Link. Link shielded his eyes from the light until it faded, and when he opened his eyes, Sheik was gone. Link looked around to see if he could find him, but he was nowhere to be found.

Link shrugged. It must've been one of those Sheikah things.

Link flinched when Navi's face suddenly appeared upside down in front of him.

"Well? Did you hear everything?" Link asked.

"Yeah, I heard," she replied.

Link smiled. "Good. Let's get out of here."

Link turned around and began to head out of the city, because the last thing he wanted was to be stuck in here when Kanakana informed Ganondorf of the return of the Hero of Time.

* * *

**-Author's Notes-**

Thank you for everyone who has been regularly reviewing my story; it really makes my day when I get feedback.

I hope the battle scene in this chapter tided most of you over for now (I really worked hard on it), because I'm going to do some revision work on some of the earlier chapters for a bit before I move on to the next. I noticed that on my "hits" stats, many people view the first chapter but don't bother reading the second. I'm assuming it's because my writing is not as good as it is now in those beginning chapters. So, I'm going to do my best in improving those chapters as much as I can just so I can get a good first impression, and therefore more feedback.

Thank you for understanding.

- Crimson Water


	21. The Grey Skies of Lon Lon Ranch

21

_The Grey Skies of Lon Lon Ranch_

_Although the glass fogged the view of the horizon, it was still quite clearly seen through the orange and red colours. The muffled rumble of the occasional booms of thunder rarely rattled the windows, but they appeared to have gained strength these past few days. It was if they were trying to communicate to him, somehow, but they had been gaining and loosing their energy quite frequently over the years. It was symbolic in that sense, as they were changing in harmonious synchronicity with the constant changing of the world._

_He stood in front of the stained-glass window, one hand behind his back and the other stroking his chin delicately. The only light that entered the room was the faint luminosity that was blocked by the thick glass anyway. Thus, the only place one would see themselves clearly, even though the light was faint. The rest of the room was pitch-black; just the way he liked it. He felt secure in the obscurity for reasons unknown to him. It may have been the fact that he could not be seen, and he knew that others were afraid of the dark because they could not see what may be lurking beyond the shadows. Perhaps the dark could either be thought of as a protective barrier, or an infinite screen that blinds the weak._

_It was the fear or love of the dark that determined what universal force one was loyal to._

_His eyes averted from the window when a long, slow creak of an opening door was heard behind him. Cautious, yet somewhat hurried footsteps were now present as the light outside the door began to flood the room. It was the familiar click of metal soles, entering his presence with no such hesitation. It was obvious to him now who was entering the room._

"_Ah, Lord Kanakana," he greeted him._

"_My liege…" Kanakana replied as he stopped his approach._

"_Thy presence is long missed, old friend," Ganondorf said slowly. "What brings you here?"_

"_I come bearing news," Kanakana answered. "I believe it is of your interest."_

_Ganondorf chuckled. He snapped his fingers, and suddenly the room was clearly alit in candlelight. He had the power to control heat in any area he pleased, so he needed no fire to light candles. He turned around to see his general clearly, but was drawn aback slightly when he realized his state. His coat was ripped and torn, dirt and blood smudged everywhere. He was limping somewhat, and was still kind of catching his breath. He was obviously attacked, but by who?_

"_I know what you're thinking, my lord," said Kanakana before Ganondorf could inquire. "It has been long since any such small resistance has been made, but now that has changed." Kanakana exhaled. "The prophesized Hero of Time has returned."_

_A huge grin swept across Ganondorf's face. It was far too good to be true, but then again Kanakana never lied to him. For so long had he awaited the Hero's return, and now he could finally carry out his master plan._

_Ganondorf laughed. "Has he now? Back with a vengeance, I presume?"_

"_Oh, er…yes, I suppose…" Kanakana mumbled as he briefly surveyed his wounds._

"_Excellent. We can finally move forward. Are you absolutely positive it was the Hero of Time?"_

_Kanakana nodded. "It would be the only explanation of the energy rift I detected near the Temple of Time. There was an unmistakable energy flowing through him, strong and vibrant."_

"_Perfect!" Ganondorf explained. "Ah, wonderful! This will surely be a day to remember. The youth will have no idea what hit him once we're through."_

_Kanakana bowed his head. "I see. I will ensure the man is captured immediately-"_

"_No!" Ganondorf said, cutting Kanakana off. "No…not yet. This definitely not a situation that needs to be rushed."_

_Kanakana fell silent as Ganondorf put his hands behind his back._

"_Careful steps and planning we must take in order for this to work," he explained. "It is a very delicate situation, and we must not make ourselves suspicious as we carry out; the young man is much more cunning than you believe, General."_

_Kanakana raised his right hand slightly as he was drawn aback._

"_You don't mean to say…" Kanakana whispered. "We're carrying out…"_

"_Yes," Ganondorf confirmed. "This event marks the commencing of Operation Sacrifice. This time, there can be no mistakes."_

_Kanakana nodded hesitantly. "Should…should I warn the Guardians?"_

_Ganondorf shook his head. "Their unawareness is key to the success of this operation, unfortunately. As long as they do not know that the plan is under way, the Hero of Time will be completely oblivious as well."_

"_But…" Kanakana muttered. "…wouldn't that…"_

_Ganondorf crossed his arms. "You know full well what it means, and so do I. It is the way of things, and if we're going to get what we want, that is what will come to pass."_

_Kanakana's hands were shaking. It looked like he didn't wish for this, but it was what his master wanted, and he had no choice but to carry it out._

"_I…I understand. As you command, my king."_

"_Good," said Ganondorf coolly. "Good, I knew I could count on you."_

_Ganondorf began to pace away from the window. He head was lowered slightly, pondering something. He scratched his chin as he passed Kanakana and headed toward the middle of the room. Kanakana was silent as Ganondorf paced on the velvet red carpet that spread across the floor. His heavy boots clunked with every step, making the ground jolt. His eyes burned brighter than the candles throughout the room, standing out like two bright stars on a cold night. His nostrils twitched as he went deep into thought._

"_Isn't it funny…?" Ganondorf mumbled._

"_Isn't what funny?" Kanakana asked._

_Ganondorf turned to his second-in-command. "Isn't it funny how everything seems so simple when you look at the big picture?"_

"_And…" Kanakana muttered. "What would you be referring to?"_

_Ganondorf chuckled. "Everything." His eyes turned to the many statues standing throughout the throne room: on one side, statues of angels, holy creatures and sprits, and on the other, wicked creatures, demons, and gargoyles to make a sinister contrast._

"_It all comes down to two things…" Ganondorf continued. "…Light, and Dark: the two universal forces, condensed into the pitiful and disgusting creation which we call our universe." He turned back to Kanakana. "They war with each other, constantly, in an unstoppable struggle to become superior over the other. It has been like this since the dawn of time."_

_Ganondorf stopped and continued to pace._

"…_and?" Kanakana inquired._

"_And…" Ganondorf continued. "They never come close to an absolute victory. Sometimes it seems one way or the other, but the opposing force always returns, with a crushing vengeance that almost always overthrows the force which seems dominant. It's almost poetic in a sense."_

"_What do you mean?" Kanakana asked, somewhat intrigued._

"_Whenever night falls over the land…" Ganondorf went on. "There are always torches lit and fires started, so the kingdom is not totally engulfed in darkness. When all of the torches and fires are doused and put out, it is only because the sun has risen in the sky and in light the realms lie."_

_Kanakana scratched his chin, listening._

"_However," said Ganondorf as he changed his tone of voice. "All that may change…"_

_Kanakana jumped. "Change?"_

_Ganondorf clenched a fist. "With the power I wield now, and the power I will relish when I acquire the true force…it will all end. The constant struggle for superiority will come to a climactic finish, and the eternal war will finally have a victor! One force will at last reign supreme! Time will stand still, and everything the universe was based upon will collapse into a void of pure darkness! The world will spin out of control, destroying the hideous abomination that is itself! The universe as we know it and all the things that it holds dear will vanish! Then, once everything is gone, I can create a new world…a new Hyrule! Perfect in every way…flawless! I will reign ultimate for all time!"_

_Ganondorf exhaled, and his tensed face slowly relaxed. "And then we will have…" he continued calmly. "…peace."_

_Kanakana said nothing, and didn't budge. Ganondorf was slowly regaining his breath as he recollected himself. He exhaled one more time, and slowly approached his leading general. He put a hand on his shoulder, and gave his orders._

"_Send out the stealth spies. I want full coverage of the Hero of Time's actions. If they are made aware of or are attacked, their orders are to flee, and we'll use something else. Understood?"_

"_Understood, my king," said Kanakana as he bowed and quickly turned towards the door. He hurriedly headed out of the room, and the next thing Ganondorf knew, he was gone._

_Ganondorf exhaled through his nose quickly, and once again snapped his fingers, putting out all the candles in the room and once again surrounding himself in darkness.

* * *

_

Link burst out of the city borders, but was stopped suddenly. He could only get even angrier when he realized that there was another thing destroyed because of Ganondorf. When he ran out of the city gates, he expected the drawbridge to invitingly lead him into the vast plains of Hyrule Field. Instead, however, he was shocked to find that not only had it been not as pleasing as it was before, but completely destroyed. The thick wood was ripped in half by a single, devastating cut, with char marks on the edges of the severed and splintered timber. The chains that once raised and lowered it were now brutally snapped, the rings twisted where they were ripped. They were obviously broken by brute strength alone, judging by how the rings warped before they were shattered. Link pondered who could've possibly had that much strength to do such a thing, but at the same time it was obvious to him. The two halves of the drawbridge were still attached to either side of the river, but the severed ends fell into the running stream, constantly eroding under the rushing waters. Chips and fragments of the severed wood clung onto either side of the moat, since all of the splinters that landed in the middle most likely floated downstream. Link could've sworn that there was still smoke rising from the broken wood, but it could only have been his imagination.

It was symbolic in a sense, representing the transformation of Hyrule Castle Town's peaceful and welcoming metropolis into the military stronghold that it had become, refusing to let outsiders in. It disgusted Link, but he wasn't going to sand here and look at the broken bridge all day; the enemy soldiers could catch up to him any moment.

Link sighed and began to carefully step down the first half of the drawbridge, being precautious with every step he took, for he didn't know how stable the wood was when it was unsupported. Luckily, Link noticed that as he went down further, the bridge was not wobbling at all. He began to go down a little more quickly, but slowed down once he began to approach the water running between the two halves. He cautiously hopped over the foot-wide gap, and stopped for a few moments once he was on the second half just to make sure that it was just as stable as the first. Once he confirmed its stability, he went ahead and proceeded up the steep incline to the official border of Hyrule Field. He went a little faster this time since he was slightly more confident. He watched the wood pass by his feet as he climbed, not really wanting to look forward, for he feared that Hyrule Field was probably even more devastating than Hyrule Castle Town. He got around to the top, stepped off the wood and onto the tall grasses.

The tall grasses? Link was somewhat perplexed as to why they looked exactly the same as when he saw them last. Link thought it was out of the question, but could it be true? There was only one way to find out.

Link slowly looked up, and let his eyes scan every bit of the new Hyrule Field. The tall grasses swayed in large waves created by the light breeze that constantly blew. The sun shone through the spaces in the clouds, creating giant rays of sunlight that made the grasses sparkle with the fading morning dew. The rolling hills were cast in shadow in certain places due to the sun moving away from the centre of the sky and the ones that were in prefect position literally gleamed majestically in the afternoon light. The sky flew over the horizon, the clouds slowly disappearing behind it and into the bordering mountain ranges. The wind moved from the mountains and into the field, moving Link's hair as he stared into the distance. The smell of wheat and flowers were strongly abundant here, and maybe a slight scent of wild berries. It was quite hot out here, but the constant breeze served as a natural air conditioner for the sticky heat.

Link couldn't believe it, but Hyrule Field seemed physically untouched by Ganondorf's influence. When he turned around to face the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town, they were still as they were, black and radiating with evil energy. The cruel guard towers ominously cast shadows over the still smoking remnants, trembling under their intimidating height and twisted architecture.

It was beyond his comprehension that something so proximate to a place of such evil would be so unharmed. It seemed almost impossible, but there it was. Ganondorf's power was seemingly condensed into wherever his power was close. It looked as if he hadn't any instalments in Hyrule Field yet, but Link could not be absolutely certain about the rest of Hyrule. The five temples that Sheik mentioned may be the other concentrations of evil that transform the surrounding area into a place of death and fear. Now things were starting to make a little more sense. Ever since Ganondorf obtained the Triforce, the places where the Sages made their homes began to radiate with energy as a signal to awaken the new generation of Sages in a desperate hope to stop him. Since Ganondorf detected the cry for help from the gods, he unleashed his most powerful servants to guard each and every temple to block the awakening signal. This was what Ganondorf feared, and he was willing to do anything to keep someone like Link from breaking his seal.

A grin emerged on Link's face. It now all made sense. If Ganondorf was so protective of the temples, then there was no other explanation but them being his weak point.

If Link could liberate the temples, then there could be a strong chance of Link defeating the Great King of Evil! With the Sages by his side, they would add their power to his, just like Rauru did at the Temple of Time. If he had the full power of the Sages, his power might be able to match Ganondorf's, which would be diminished without the temples under his control.

Link felt much more confident now, but he couldn't help but feel worried when he thought about the guardians themselves. If Ganondorf was really desperate to keep the temples under his control, there was no telling what the guardians were or what they were capable of. They would obviously be willing to fight to the death...if they were living, breathing things of course. He could feel his heart sink into his stomach once he thought of the fact that he was going to have to fight these things, and it was definitely not going to be easy. Not only were the guardians themselves protecting the temples, but most likely rather large hoards of Ganondorf's foot soldiers, patrolling the area as an extra blockade so one wouldn't be able to even reach the guardian at all.

Link shook those thoughts out of his head. He had the Master Sword; nothing could stand between him and Ganondorf's defeat. If it was truly the sword of evil's bane, then nothing could defeat him.

Navi scrambled out of Link's hat and fluttered around for a bit before hovering in front of his face. She looked around momentarily, and then looked back at him.

"Well, here we are."

Link nodded. "Where to?" he asked. "Sheik said that we-"

"We have to find a place to stay the night. I know," Navi cut him off. "Would you consider that to be a problem?"

Link shrugged. "Yeah, probably," he said. "It could be a bit hard to find a place to stay that would be safe from Ganondorf's subordinates."

Navi bit her lip. "Well…what place is safe?" She looked behind her, surveying the perfectly clear plains of Hyrule Field. She turned back to him. "Well…Hyrule Field doesn't look so bad, don't you think?"

"I suppose so," Link agreed.

"Well…" Navi mumbled. "Maybe we could just sleep on the field? You know…under the stars?"

"That would be nice," Link said. "But we have no idea what the enemy patrol routes are. Who knows? They could trip on us in the middle of the night while they are exchanging troops from one area to the other."

"Oh…" Navi said glumly. "Yeah, you're probably right. Well, there has to be somewhere safe other than here."

"I highly doubt that," Link replied. "The five temples are in every corner of Hyrule. I think the only place that has been untouched is Hyrule Field, since there is no temple located here."

Navi tapped her chin for a moment. "There has to be a place in Hyrule Field somewhere where Ganondorf wouldn't direct his troops. There has to be somewhere that doesn't need to be watched. It could even be a place that would actually be a waste of time to go as far as military issues are concerned."

Just then, it hit him.

"Lon Lon Ranch," Link declared. "We can go to Lon Lon Ranch."

Navi's eyes widened. "Yeah…it has to be safe there!"

Link sighed. "If it isn't, I have absolutely no idea what part of Hyrule is secure these days. I'm sure they'd let us in. They're friendly people, after all.

Navi nodded her head affirmatively. "Alright! Off to Lon Lon Ranch, then!"

Link smiled as his eyes turned south. "It's about a three hour walk. Are you up to it?"

Navi rolled her eyes. "What do I care? You're the one who's going to do all the walking."

Link laughed as he nodded. "Yes, I suppose so. Alright. I'll get going right away then, since I want to be there in the afternoon."

Navi threw her arms up. "Well, let's go!"

Link quickly flicked Navi, sending her flying back a few feet with a loud squeak, and began to run ahead. Navi cursed as she regained her flight pattern and hurriedly chased after the running Hero of Time.

* * *

_Kanakana burst out of the castle gates and sprinted towards the military camps. He ran at top speed, not tripping at all, his trench coat whipping behind him wildly as he dashed. _

_He jumped the barricades and exploded through the many gates that surrounded the black castle. One by one, he passed the walls that lead to the military grounds, not one guard or soldier questioning him for clearance, for his army feared him as much as they feared Ganondorf. He passed a few Moblins and Stalfos as he made his way through the final gates. One last doorway, and he was in the military encampment. It was the same field in which they had their outstanding victory against the Hylians, seven years ago. Obviously, the field of battle had changed much since then. There was now barely any grass here; mostly dry rocks and withered bushes. The hill on the horizon used to be muddy and slippery, but now it had dried up into a greyish, brown mountain of cracked mud. The ground was slightly uneven, since the Great Ganondorf did not care so much in the grounds keeping as the previous king did. Trampled terrain and dead plants were all to be seen here. There were remnants of old trees, bare and cut down, rotting into the bone-dry soil. The ground here was far from fertile, making the only use of this place the highest concentration of soldiers in Hyrule._

_This field was around two or three miles wide, and it was full to the brim of moving soldiers. Campfires dotted the plain, making columns of black smoke, filling the sky a thin fabric of darkness, not that the permanent dark overcast already blocked out the sun. Amidst all of the solders, many wooden structures were erected for different purposes. From siege weapon manufacturing, to food preparation, to armour blacksmiths, to torture mechanisms for deserters or soldiers that question direct orders from high ranks. _

_There was always noise here, whether it was officers barking orders, soldiers laughing while they ate, or the ear piercing screams from the poor souls that were sentenced to torture._

_Kanakana rushed down the hill, not one soldier he passed hushing up and bowing his head as he ran by. Kanakana eventually approached a lone soldier standing guard by a trap door, which opened up a chamber deep within the earth. The Lizalfos seemed to be sleeping, for he was sitting down with his head lowered, snoring. Kanakana did not have the patience for this; this was a direct order from the Great Ganondorf himself._

"_Hey! You!" Kanakana barked at the snoozing soldier. Abruptly awoken, the Lizalfos flinched and scrambled to his feet and picked up his spear. When he noticed that it was Kanakana who woke him, he hurriedly straightened his posture and saluted._

"_My apologies, sir!" said the Lizalfos. "Guarding the trap door does get slightly boring, sir!"_

"_Shut up!" barked Kanakana. "I would have you beaten for sleeping on the job, but you've caught me in a good mood! Consider yourself lucky, scum!"_

"_A thousand thank-you's, sir!" said the Lizalfos, wincing._

"_Never mind that!" said Kanakana. "I want you to open the trap door!"_

_Suddenly, the Lizalfos' expression changed from nervousness and fear, to that of shock and confusion._

"…_excuse me, sir? I thought you wanted me to open the trap door…"_

"_That's correct," Kanakana growled. "You heard me…release the Guay!"_

"_Why…" the Lizalfos stuttered. "…but…we haven't used our spies since…"_

"…_since the Second Year Revolts, I know," replied Kanakana. "However, this is a direct order from the Great Ganondorf. We shall not question it."_

"_What do they need to spy on, Lord Kanakana?" the Lizalfos asked._

_Kanakana grumbled. He couldn't believe he was answering so many questions. "The prophesized Hero of Time has returned from beyond the void. The Great Ganondorf wishes for full reports on his actions."_

"_The Hero of Time?" the Lizalfos laughed. "Have you lost it or something? That's all just a big fairy tale. I seriously don't think we should release the Guay just because of some stupid superstition."_

_Kanakana walked up to the snickering Lizalfos, furious. The Lizalfos covered his mouth, trying to hide that he was laughing from the fuming Kanakana. When Kanakana got close, he wasted no time in brutally backhanding the Lizalfos across the face. The Lizalfos grunted as he was knocked off his feet, landing face-first in a muddy puddle beside his post. Kanakana approached the fallen Lizalfos, who was slowly beginning to lift his body up out of the muddy water, couching and spitting out the filthy water. Before it could get up, Kanakana slammed his boot onto the Lizalfos' back, making it yelp and once again fall into the disgusting water. Kanakana pressed down hard on its back as it flailed around and gurgled in the water. He eventually reached down to the back of the Lizalfos' had and yanked it out of the water. Its eyes were shut as it coughed up water and struggled to regain its breath. Kanakana leaned in close to its ear._

"_Hey…you know what?" Kanakana yelled menacingly. "You look thirsty, coughing like that. How about you take a break and…" Kanakana brutally slammed the Lizalfos' face back into the water. "…have a drink!"_

_The Lizalfos once again struggled and flailed around as it gurgled in the water, bubbles appearing beside its head as it blew air into the muddy water._

"_Drink it!" Kanakana screamed as he yanked the Lizalfos' head from side to side. After a while, the Lizalfos' fingers curled as the bubbles faded, and Kanakana noticed its neck moving. Gulp after gulp, the Lizalfos drank the water in a desperate hope that Kanakana would give him some air. Kanakana eventually pulled its head out of the water, and the Lizalfos immediately threw up into the already disgusting water. It gasped and wheezed as it desperately sucked in air._

"_How does it taste?" Kanakana asked. All that came out of the Lizalfos' mouth was wheezing and coughing. "I said, how does it taste, you piece of trash!" he screamed._

"_Mugph…puh…awful…" the Lizalfos barely managed to blurt out._

"_Oh…" said Kanakana disappointingly. "That's a shame. I guess dirty water is more of an acquired taste. Hey…I have an idea!" he said as he began to aim the Lizalfos' head towards the water once again. "I'll let you drink it again, but this time you have your own special ingredient that you yourself so kindly added!"_

_The Lizalfos began to shake his head as he looked at the vomit floating on top of the filthy water._

"_No…no…NOOOOO!"_

_Kanakana once again slammed the Lizalfos' face into the water, splashing the revolting mixture everywhere. The Lizalfos screamed underwater as its arms and legs flapped helplessly, splashing in the water. Kanakana noticed that he was still gurgling in the water._

"_Drink it, or I'll cut your head off!"_

_The Lizalfos started to slow down, its arms now laying flat on the ground. The gurgling slowly disappeared, and Kanakana gradually leaned his head in to check on the Lizalfos' neck. It was still. It looked like it had drowned because Kanakana was cutting off its air supply for too long. It was a shame. Kanakana really wanted to see him drink it. Just before Kanakana was about to let go, he suddenly burst into laughter as he saw the Lizalfos' neck take in large amounts of vomit-infested water. Soldiers passing by stopped to watch as the Lizalfos drink his own spew, with Kanakana on its back, pounding his fist into the ground in hysterics. Kanakana laughed wildly as the Lizalfos continued to drink. Even some of the Stalfos and Moblins that were watching began to snicker as well. Unable to contain himself, Kanakana let go of the poor Lizalfos, making its head leap out of the water, gagging and continuing to throw up. It was rolling on the ground, coughing and wheezing, covered in vomit. Kanakana then kicked it in the stomach, shutting it up._

"_Let that be a lesson to you!" Kanakana barked at the Lizalfos, curled up in a ball, unable to even moan. "And let that be a lesson to all of you as well!" he shouted at the spectators. "If you ever defy my orders, or the orders of the Great Ganondorf, you will drink from this very cesspool! Do you understand?"_

"_YES SIR!" the crowd shouted as they slowly backed off._

_Kanakana then silently turned toward the trap door, and approached it. He stepped on top of the wooden shutters and reached toward the lock that held them shut. With one fierce yank, he broke it off, and tossed it aside. He backed up off of the wooden shutters, just so he could reach down to the bottom sides. He found a good grip, and with one swift motion, threw the doors open. They crashed on either side of the hole, spreading dust everywhere. Kanakana leaned over, and stared into the black void that the trap door once hid._

"_Guay!" he shouted into the black. "Spies of the Great Ganondorf! The Hero of Time has returned from the sky, and now is the time of total victory! Find him, track him, and memorize everything that he does. I want full, daily reports to the Great Ganondorf himself! Now…fly! The fate of our plans lies in your hands!"_

_A few echoed, small squawks were heard from the hole, before a rumble of hundreds of flapping wings. In a huge explosion of energy, the hundreds of black crows burst out of the hole, making the ground shake. In a solid black pillar, they began to fill the sky as they took flight into the dark sky. Kanakana cackled as the Guay spread out into the air, beginning their tracking measures._

_A Moblin approached Kanakana from behind, bowed and spoke._

"_Excuse me, Lord Kanakana, but by the releasing of the Guay, are we in a situation currently?"_

"_No…" Kanakana replied, still watching the column of Guay launching into the sky. "No, but we will most likely in the near future."_

_The Moblin flinched. "Are you serious, sir…? A search and destroy mission?"_

"_No…" Kanakana said once more._

"…_war."

* * *

_

After three hours of walking in the blistering heat of Hyrule Field, Link finally arrived at Lon Lon Ranch. He was extremely exhausted, but was glad that he had made it in the time in which he estimated. Since it was around 1:00 when he left Ganondorf's stronghold, it should've been somewhere around 4:00 now. Link's nostrils familiarised themselves sweet scent of the country air. When he looked at the sky, however, he was confused. It was grey…a monotone grey that did not change shade in any point of the heavens. Link couldn't help but get chills up his spine as he casually walked into the ranch. Something had happened here, but what? There were no signs of attack, no used arrows or spears, and the structures which Link remembered from when he was a child were still fully intact. However, and eerie atmosphere loomed over him as he continued to walk forward. It wasn't visible or even apparent, but Link was almost certain that something bad had happened at the ranch since he left.

Then, he noticed something. The last time he was here, there was the constant sound of Cuccos clucking in distance, and the pounding of the hooves of the many horses that ran across the fields. However, when he listened, there was nothing. All he heard was silence. Not even the wind passing over his head made any sound. The only thing he could hear was the jingling of his equipment in his pockets and on his back. An odd feeling came over him, like he expected something to jump out of the bushes and scare him half to death. The silence put him in a state of insecurity and uncertainty, not knowing what was going to happen. The cheerfulness of this place had seemingly gone, and was replaced with a dead, unwelcoming atmosphere. Link wondered more and more what could've possibly happened that could've made a place as lively as Lon Lon Ranch as still and ominous as it was now. When Link recalled memories of the utterly destroyed Hyrule Castle Town, it didn't seem as improbable as it was. Link wanted to find out what happened here that gave him such an ill feeling, whether or not it was going to put him in danger.

Link turned the corner of the path that lead into the ranch, and looked carefully forward as he continued to proceed. On the left of him stood the farm house, looking clean and well tended to. Curtains were hung behind the windows, making it impossible to see what was behind them. It didn't seem that odd to Link, so he figured he'd have to look somewhere else. On the right, there was the stable. From when Link could remember, he recalled it being dusty, worn down, and not really used so much. Link figured it was that way because the horses spent most of their time outside; not in the stable. However, now, it was even more worn down, and it wasn't as dusty as before. A path had burned into the ground that wasn't there before, leading into the stable. It looked like it was being used a lot more often than it was seven years ago. When Link really listened hard, he could actually hear many horses' grunts and cow moos, muffled from behind the old wood. Maybe that's why it was so quiet. However, Link was confused…why were all of the animals in the stable all of a sudden? Link thought that they were let outside to run and enjoy the country air until nightfall. It was but four in the afternoon; why weren't they running around? This was quite odd. Link was more determined than ever to find answers to the ranch's strange state.

Link picked up his pace slightly as he passed the two structures calmly, stepping into the main field of the ranch where the animals were free to roam. As he expected, the plain was bare, except for two or three horses calmly grazing in the fenced area. He walked into the open, looking around for anyone. His eyes moved from left to right, scanning the horizon, looking for movement other than that of the horses. He continued to walk offhandedly into the open, maybe even expecting something to happen if he did so.

"Eh…who…who are you?" came a low, stony voice from behind him. Link spun around to see the side of the stable which he had overlooked. A man was sitting on a stool, leaning back onto the outside wall of the shed. His head tilted from side to side, looking like he had just woken up. A bottle of whiskey was beside him, empty, lying down on the brown grass. He coughed frequently, and maybe even hiccupped a few times. Maybe he had a long night last night. Link immediately recognized him; it was Mr. Ingo, the caretaker of the ranch.

Link remembered him clearly from the last time he was here, but he looked a lot different that when he last remembered. He was a lot better dressed now, at least compared to the old, worn out white overalls he wore seven years ago. He now wore a beautiful scarlet vest, over a royal blue long-sleeved shit, along with a fancy frilled collar. His face was a little more well-groomed, since not a lot of grain was visible compared to his old, unevenly shaved chin. His highly recognizable, large moustache was still there, crooked as always. His large, oversized, bushy eyebrows were still furrowed and constantly moving. His thinning, greasy hair was combed back, barely even visible to someone who looked at him straight on. Is cold, malicious eyes were fixed upon Link, in an icy stare.

Link decided it was best to speak with him, seeing as that he was the only one on the ranch right now.

"Hello," said Link. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

Ingo shook his head sluggishly. "Nah, I've been awake for like…oh…uh, five minutes, or something?"

Link's eyes narrowed. "Uh…sure."

"Well, kid," said Ingo as he began to lift himself off of the stool. "Welcome to Ingo Ranch. Take–"

"Ingo Ranch?" Link repeated. He thought it was Lon Lon Ranch…was the name of the place even changed? Why was it Ingo's name? Link had to speak with Talon about this; something wasn't right. "Excuse me, may I speak to the owner of the ranch, please?"

"You're looking at him," Ingo replied.

Link jumped. What was he talking about? "You…you're…the owner?"

Ingo nodded. "Yeah, for the past seven years. Ever since the Great Ganondorf rose to power, things have been going great for me."

Link shook his head in disbelief. Had this guy totally lost it or something? He was obviously nuts. "Look," he said. "I know you aren't the manager; Talon Lon-Lon is."

Suddenly, Mr. Ingo looked all irritated. It was like he heard this every day.

"Ugh…don't tell me you've been listening to all of those rumours going on about me in Kakariko Village!"

Link raised an eyebrow. "…Kakariko Village?"

Ingo ignored him. "You kids…always taking these things seriously." Ingo sighed. "I suppose I should explain what really happened, yet again," he added with an aggressive tone. "There's a buzz going around that I cheated Talon out of the ranch."

Link's eyes widened. "You cheated Talon out of the ranch?"

"Don't be ridiculous!" snapped Ingo. "That guy, Talon, was completely and utterly weak. I, the hard-working Ingo, poured so much energy into this place!" Ingo crossed his arms. "Where can I begin to start, anyway? I tended the fields, fed the horses, cleaned up after them if you know what I mean, milked the cows, packed the exports, moved the hay, fetched the water, and even did most of the housework! And for what? So some guy could sleep all day? I barely even got any pay!"  
Link scratched his chin. "Well, I just suppose it's tough being a working man, then. At least Talon let you work here; you could've been another one of those souls caught in the carnage at Hyrule Castle town that Ganondorf started."

"The _Great _Ganondorf, if you don't mind," Ingo growled. "I don't want strangers like you going around saying anything bad about me, you got that?"

Link shrugged. "Well, quite frankly I don't know anything about the situation. Let's just say I've been away for a long time. How did you even become the owner of the ranch, anyway? I don't think Talon would just give it away to you; he's not like that. From what you just said, I'm not surprised that there are rumours about you cheating him out of the ranch."

Ingo snarled. "Listen," he said, very irritated now. "The Great Ganondorf recognized my obvious talents, and gave the ranch to me. We discussed it at a meeting we had the day before the attacks took place at Hyrule Castle. I kicked Talon out of the ranch, and things have never been better!"

Link's heart dropped. He clearly remembered Ingo going out for a meeting when he stayed here. He left early in the morning, and since Link woke up at noon, Ingo was coming back with a smug look on his face just as Link went out the door. Now, all of a sudden, Ingo didn't seem as crazy as Link made him out to be. Why else would a working man like him go to see Ganondorf, and not Talon? It was so preposterous, and yet so obvious now. So, it was true; Ingo really did take over the ranch. Now, to Link, it seemed that not one place in Hyrule had not been touched by Ganondorf's evil. Everything was affected. Everything. Not one life unchanged, not one blade of grass not discoloured.

"Hey, kid!" Ingo yelled. "Are you paying attention? I don't want you to get the facts mixed up so the rumours don't get even worse!"

"Just…" Link muttered under his breath. He looked up and stared straight into Ingo's hard eyes. "Just what do…what do you plan to do with the ranch?"

Suddenly, Ingo's attitude totally changed, and a grin appeared across his face. "Heh heh…glad you asked that, boy. Well…" he began. "Ever since the Great Ganondorf became king, the people from the Castle Town had gone, places destroyed and ruined, and monsters have been roaming around everywhere. It's quite a pity to see Hyrule in such a state, but it is for one reason and one reason only," he said as he raised a finger into the air, making it seem that he really knew what he was talking about. "People don't like him. Personally, I do not see what is so bad about the Great Ganondorf, since he gave me the ranch. All you have to do to protect yourself from his…let's just say his bad temper, is to simply not question him. If you defy the Great Ganondorf, it is simple: you're punished. Quite an effective way of keeping order, in my opinion."

Link's lips curled; he did not support Ingo's opinions at all. Ingo did not seem to realize why places were destroyed. It wasn't because they were defying him; it was because that his evil power radiated from the temples. That's why everything was so messed up: Ganondorf's evil mind, not some political system.

"So," Ingo went on. "Since I want to keep the ranch the way it was…"

The ranch had already been changed for the worse, anyway.

"…I want to earn the Great Ganondorf's favour," Ingo explained. "So, using the ranch, I will raise a fine horse, and win recognition from the Great Ganondorf himself!"

Link felt his stomach churn. What a horrible thing to do. Horses were living, breathing things that needed love and care. They weren't meant for training and taming procedures for the sole purpose of getting credit from some monarch. Link couldn't believe what Ingo had done to the ranch. He had turned it into a place where animals could live out of harms way, with affection and nurturing, into a prison, where all the animals could do was simply become better at serving humans. No wonder there was such an eerie atmosphere over the ranch; it had been converted to evil, like the rest of Hyrule. Link was obviously not welcome to stay overnight. Maybe the best thing to do was sleep under the stars tonight and hope for the best.

Link nodded slowly, and began to walk towards the exit of the ranch, not even bothering to ask if he could stay.

"Hey, boy," said Ingo, making Link turn his head around. "How would you like to ride one of my fine horses?"

Link bit his lip, and slowly looked over to the fenced area where three horses grazed. He didn't really want to support the ranch now, since it was now only for the purpose of Ingo's own self-satisfaction. However, ever since he was a young child, he had always dreamt of riding a horse. People just really looked important whenever they were on one. Memories of his incomplete childhood rushed back to him, along with all of his faded dreams and interests. Horses always fascinated him, mostly because he was never proximate with them in the forest, where he spent most of his life. He found the animals completely majestic, and he longed to be able to mount one, one day, and be able to ride it around all day, travelling great distances, exploring the world and what it had to offer. He really didn't want to mistreat the animals any more than there were here, but he couldn't help but let his inner child take over him.

"Well, okay, I guess. I've never ridden a horse before, though."

Ingo laughed. "Ah, no worries. I'll teach you the basics. That'll be ten rupees, please."

Link jumped. He didn't have any money on him. Even though he didn't want to give any to Mr. Ingo anyway, he really wanted to ride a horse.

"Erm…sorry, I don't have any money on me."

A frown swept across Ingo's face. "Well, then I guess you can't ride a horse, now, can you?"

Link bit his lip. "Is there any way that I can ride for…free?"

Mr. Ingo looked like he was going to explode on Link, which he feared, but only for a second. Suddenly, he began to scratch his chin, thinking of something. He looked intently at Link for a moment or two as he pondered. He soon stopped scratching his chin, once again bearing an ominous grin.

"Tell you what, kid," he said. "I'll let you ride for free, but under only one condition."

Link nodded, listening. Ingo tilted his head toward the stable behind him.

"Follow me…" said Ingo, as he turned around with his hands behind his back. He began to walk in the direction of the space between the stable and the farmhouse. He walked calmly, not even looking back to see if Link was following or not. Link did follow, though, for he was curious what Ingo wanted him to do.

* * *

"_Do you think he's suspicious?"_

"_No," Rauru replied. "No, I doubt it highly."_

_Sheik was having a meeting with Rauru in the middle of Hyrule field. Rauru cast a hologram of himself on the surface of the living world, allowing for more coordinated conversation. Sheik was sitting on the crest of a hill, looking over the vast landscape of Hyrule. His eyes drifted across Lon Lon Ranch quite often, for he knew that was where Link currently was. One hand was on his raised knee, the other behind him, supporting his body as he leaned back. His fingers lightly drummed on the ground nervously, really worrying about what Link was putting himself into at the ranch._

"_Are you sure?" Sheik asked, turning to Rauru's hologram._

"_He's completely oblivious. We have nothing to fear at the moment."_

"_Still…" Sheik mumbled. "It worries me. Link has the ability to crack the greatest of puzzles and conspiracies; he's done it in the past."_

"_Yes, that is true," Rauru agreed. "That is where your role comes in, Sheik. It's your job to make sure that Link does not find out the truth."_

_Sheik eyed Rauru. "…the truth?"_

"_About Princess Zelda," Rauru replied. "It is imperative that Link is unaware of it."_

_Sheik sighed glumly and looked back towards the ranch, the soft winds making his golden bangs wave majestically. "I still don't understand," he said. "Why must Link be unaware of the truth?"_

"_Sheik, you are wise. I would expect you to know of such reasons," Rauru said, disappointed slightly. "Link's uncertainty of Zelda's status is key to the success of this mission. He must awaken all of the Sages, and then the truth will be revealed to him. If we were to tell him the truth now, he would lose all incentive to continue on with his quest."_

_Sheik blinked. "Do you really think he would completely lose all reason to defeat Ganondorf?"_

_Rauru nodded slowly. "It would not surprise me at all. Maybe you do not know it, Sheik, but Link loves her. His reason for awakening the Sages and bringing order to Hyrule is not for himself, nor the people of this beautiful land, but Princess Zelda. Since he does not know if she is alive or not, he sets his sights on liberating every realm of Hyrule, and hopefully find some answers along the way. If it is revealed to him before he dispels the five evil barriers, then he will see no point in moving on, since his ultimate goal would be achieved. You have to understand, Sheik; Link doesn't care for the fate of the land anymore, since it has already been tossed into such a dark void."_

_Sheik sighed. "It's a pity, really. We are forced to keep secrets from him just to keep him moving forward. I wish we could tell him everything, but I guess you're right."_

"_It's only human nature, Sheik," said Rauru. "When all hope is lost, and inevitable seems the death of one's home country, then one would only seek out the one that one loves most. In Link's case, it's Zelda, and he will not rest until he finds out if she is alive or not."_

_Sheik closed his eyes. "The obdurate determination of youth…beautiful in its way when it comes to the eternal search for love. It brings a tear to the eye."_

"_Very brittle, as well, Sheik," Rauru added. "That obdurate determination is exactly what he needs to overcome this great burden, and if we so much bend it out of proportion, it will shatter. That is the last thing we need, so completely avoid any risk of damaging him, or it will be the death of us all."_

_Sheik reopened his eyes. "So, that's what Hyrule's fate comes down to…" he muttered. "It all rests on a tiny thread that connects Link to Zelda, and the powerful lust that grows so vibrantly within him to find her. Such a simple thing…that ultimately results on something so great. It's overwhelmingly profound."_

_Rauru breathed deep. "The first barrier will be the easiest one of all, but it still won't be easy," he said as he looked toward the east. "I do not think that Ganondorf is aware of what we are planning, but he will more than likely be enraged if we successfully smash down the first barrier."_

"_I am aware of this," said Sheik. "No matter how stealthily and quickly we destroy the energy, Ganondorf will feel its pulsing energy halt abruptly, therefore making him aware that the final revolt against him has begun, and his enemies have gotten much wiser."_

"_He will move swiftly," Rauru sighed. "Not much can be done about the constant shifting of his ranks. As they move, they grow, and their numbers have increased greatly over the years. This is an issue that troubles me, because although we know Ganondorf's weakness, we are not at all invincible. This is something that I fear, and once the first mission is over and done with, there is no turning back."_

_Sheik nodded. "I am also aware of this. It is completely up to Link to decide to all the way. I will tell him tomorrow that if wishes to fulfill his oath, he either succeeds, or…"_

"_Or he will die trying," Rauru finished._

_Sheik breathed in and let out a long sigh. "I wish there was a simpler way to do this, Rauru, but we have no choice. It must be done or the land will be in even more peril than it already is."_

_Rauru nodded. "Indeed, Sheik. However, I myself would be willing to sacrifice my own life for this beautiful land. However, my role is too important in this, and I must remain the Sage of Light. Remember that."_

_Sheik blinked. "I understand."_

"_Get some rest," Rauru advised. "I want you to have a good night's sleep; it will be a long day tomorrow. Tomorrow, the evil forest barrier falls, and the revolution shall begin."_

_Rauru's hologram flickered, and the light that projected his body soon vanished. Sheik was alone once again, and his thoughts still did not drift away from the task at hand. It could not be undone now, and he simply just had to go along with it. After all these years of waiting in the age of darkness, it would finally be time destroy the darkness and bring light to Hyrule once again._

_Sheik calmly reached into one of the pouches attached to his waist, and pulled out a piece of bread. With the free hand, he moved away some of the bandages around his mouth to make it exposed. He took a bite out of the soft bread, and chewed slowly. He wasn't going to sleep just yet on an empty stomach.

* * *

_

"You what me to what?" Link yelled.

Ingo chuckled. "That's right. I'll let you ride for free if you use that horse. As you can probably see, the catch is that this horse is the wildest one of them all. Even I am having a hard time trying to tame it."

Link and Ingo were in the stable of the ranch, looking at the horses in their cubicles. There was a large, musky smell in here, which Link didn't like. The cows were stationed on one side of the stable, and the horses on the other.

Link could feel sweat building up in his leather gauntlets as his fingers fidgeted nervously. He looked in fear at what was before him, for he knew the task at hand. He delicately licked the front of his upper teeth, but kept his mouth shut as he didn't want to show his tenseness to the smug Ingo beside him. He was obviously giving Ingo what he wanted: the sense of fear and hesitance, and he could feel Ingo's cold stare coming his way, like an icy wind howling quickly in a winter night. Link was reluctant to admit that he was indeed somewhat edgy, but determination still flowed through his blood, as it had never left him since the very start.

The horse before him was definitely not like the others, and there was no question why Ingo would only let him ride it if he were to gain access to his steeds free of charge. The horse reared constantly, neighing in anguish, ramming its hooves against the thick, splintering wood of its stall. Its wild, white mane whipped around violently as it shook its head, still focused on escaping this prison. Every time its hooves slammed against the bark, it was like a cannon firing, followed by a distinct rumble bouncing off the walls of Link's ear canals. The horse's coat was beautiful, and gleamed in the copper sunlight leaking through the small cracks between the wooden planks that made up the stable. It was a striking ginger colour, distinguishing it significantly from the common walnut tinge of the other horses. Its eyes flickered madly in the constant changing angle of the sunlight making contact with them. They were black as the deadest of nights, blending in with an outer halo of lavender.

Those eyes…Link had never been so mystified by the eyes of a horse before, but he wasn't exactly sure if it was their beauty that was so arresting about them. It wasn't so much of a sense of wonder that made Link's eyes lock onto the horse's, but more of a sense of familiarity. He had seen this horse before…but from where?

Link flinched; it was Epona, the small pony which he met when he was a child.

What a horse it had become over the years. The small foal, from which he was barely introduced so many years ago, had grown into a find steed fit for a proud warrior. She wielded such power and potential now, with muscles bulging on all of her legs and her chest. She had grown beautifully, and was now a magnificent horse, among the best Link had ever seen not that he had seen many though. The look in her eyes…it was not of that of anguish, fear, nor the mind-drilling agony of imprisonment, but that of hope, in zealous desperation for freedom. It was something Link had never seen in her before, and it bewildered him.

Epona was now equipped with a saddle, with leather straps going all around her–a harsh reminder of Ingo's cruel effect on the ranch. Her saddle was rather elegant, standing out from most of the other ones that were mounted on the wall on rusty hooks. The seat was not just plain, brown leather the whole way through, but had an elegant, royal blue ring around the outside of the seat, gleaming brilliantly. A small, golden crest of the Triforce was fixed on the bottom edge of either side of the saddle. Below them, two white cloths of silk hung lightly over the sides of the seat.

She continued to flail viciously in her stall.

Ingo grumbled. "Hmph…such a wild horse. Even I have had a hard time taming it…"

Link turned his eyes toward the man. "How come?"

Ingo grunted as he stared at Epona. "The normal techniques work quite well on the other horses, but not this one. I just don't understand."

Link shrugged. "Well, not all horses are the same."

Ingo glared at Link, as if he had just slapped him the face. "And what would you know about horses, boy? I would be surprised if anyone walking around without change in their pockets knew anything about anything!"

Link raised an eyebrow. From what he could tell, Ingo was most likely self-conscious about his inability to tame Epona. Perhaps it would be humiliating to him if such information was slipped to Ganondorf?

"Okay," said Link. "I'm sorry. I suppose I don't know much."

"No, you don't," said Ingo smugly, regaining some of his previous composure. "Now," he continued. "Let's get underway, shall we? Mount the horse, boy!"

Link swallowed. He nervously returned his gaze to Epona, now viciously ramming her head on the gate. She flailed around uncontrollably, as if she feared that they were going to hurt her. How was Link supposed to mount her if getting within one foot of her would be a death sentence? This was absurd.

"Alright, give me a break," complained Link. "How am I supposed to even get within touchable distance of this horse?"

Ingo shrugged, and stared at him with a sinister grin. "Heh…I don't know. That's your problem, boy. If you really want to ride for free, this is what you get."

Link's lips curled as he continued to stare at the wild beast before him. Now what was he supposed to do? Link was not about to back down now, for he wasn't a coward. There had to be some way to calm her down…there had to be. There was something Ingo did not know about her, and Link just had to find it. Ingo did not raise Epona since she was small, and she seemed pretty calm back then. It was something she was lacking now. It was something that she longed for ever since he took over. It was love and care, of course, but Link had to find a way to express it without getting near her. There had to be something, something that would make her realize that Link was not here to harm her. There was one thing that could tame her. There was one thing that could show that Link was here to love and care for her, and not to abuse her for the purpose of Ganondorf's favour. What was it? What could it possibly be? It existed, but Link had absolutely no lead on where to start.

Link lowered his head as he pondered. It had to be a reminder of the good old days. The only way he could calm her down was to show or give her something that would take her back to the days when peace hovered above the ranch. What did she enjoy back then? Was there any event that brought her to joy or comfort? Was there something done to her on a regular basis?

Link scratched his chin. Epona…she must've had parents. Maybe he was on to something. Maybe Epona didn't know her parents very well, but there must've been some vague memory of them. A father…and a mother.

Link's eyes narrowed. A mother…something rang a bell when he thought of a mother. Was it something about Epona's mother or someone else's…Link jumped.

…that song…

It was that song…the one that Malon's mother wrote. It was so clear to him now. Malon always sang that song, and Epona seemed to enjoy it every time he heard her voice. Epona's Song…that's what she called it. Link had found it. That's what Epona longed for. She longed to see Malon. Since Talon was kicked out, he must've taken his daughter with him. So, ever since then, Epona has been without the one who had cared for her the most. That's why she was so desperate to break free, for she wanted to look for and find her, and hopefully once again share the love they had for each other so many years ago.

Malon had taught Link that song when he stayed overnight here. Maybe…just maybe, if he played that song on his ocarina, he may have some chance of giving Epona hope, and hopefully calm her down, making her trust him. Link knew it was pretty far-fetched, but he had to try. If playing that song didn't work, the nothing would, and Epona would remain an untamed horse.

Link began to slowly reach into the pocket that contained his two ocarinas: The Fairy Ocarina and the Ocarina of Time. As he stared into the open pouch, he carefully examined the two. The Fairy Ocarina reminded him of his childhood as well, but the Ocarina of Time caught his eye, with its modest blue radiance. He decided to use the Ocarina of Time; for whenever he played it he noticed that the sounds were much smoother, making it easier to play. This was probably because the ocarina was made with much more care, as it was sacred.

Link removed it from his pocket with his left hand, and let it fall by his side. It was now time to cautiously approach Epona, but not to get close enough to let his face meet Epona's hoof. He vigilantly crept toward her, watching her every move, making sure she did not get even more feral. She rammed her hooves into the gate once more, making Link flinch. He could hear Ingo chuckling in the background, but he ignored him, for he wasn't important right now. He looked into the eyes of Epona, who stared back at him with obvious fear. It was the look of an abused animal, intimidated by any human approaching it. Link tried winking at her to reassure her, but to no affect. She continued to thrash hysterically as Link began to draw near. It looked like Epona was somehow thinking that this was her death, seeing as how stealthily Link approached. He didn't want to scare the horse, so Link knew he was going to have to hold his ground soon. He did, eventually, cancel his advance, and stood there, trying his best to stare into the horse's eyes as a friend. Epona stopped flailing and was now still, shaking with fear.

Link bit his lip as he began to raise the ocarina towards his mouth. He didn't blame Epona for thinking that it was some instrument made to hurt her, for she began to panic again. Link was not about to stop now, for he was so close. In time, he brought the mouthpiece of the instrument to his mouth, and closed his eyes. It took him a few moments to bring the song back to the fore, but it eventually came to him. Epona now thrashed harder than ever, thinking that this instrument was about to hurt her. Link took a deep breath, and began to blow smoothly into the ocarina.

The second Link began to play the melody, it was as if the ocarina played itself. He was unsure if he would play the melody perfectly, but as he went on, the notes just came to him right before it was time to play them. When he was halfway through the song, he opened his eyes to look at Epona. She was now perfectly still, not even shaking, and to what Link could tell, not even blinking. She stared at him in awe, not believing what she was hearing. Link could almost visibly see all of her memories as a young pony return to her. Visions of Malon, her father, and maybe even Link as a child, flashing before her eyes in an instant. Link was overjoyed to see her finally calm, but he tried his best not to smile, because that would make it impossible to play the ocarina correctly. It was even harder to smile when he began to hear stutters of disbelief from Mr. Ingo. When the melody was over, the stable was completely silent. Even the wind that soared by the cracks between the wooden planks of the walls seemed to had ceased.

Link returned the Ocarina of Time to his pocket, and stared intently at Epona. She was now breathing normally, and was staring into Link's eyes, not with fear, but with shock and bewilderment. She looked completely harmless now…but did Link's idea really work? There was only one way to find out.

Link took a step forward, but Epona didn't budge. She continued to gaze at him, not looking hostile. Feeling a little more secure, Link picked up the pace. He took a few more steps toward the gate, at a point where he would've easily been struck down if Epona was still flailing. He bit his lip as he was almost close enough to reach out and touch her. As he got even closer to her, Epona began to lean forward, sticking her neck out of her stall. Link stopped advancing once she began to sniff his face. He bit his lip as Epona continued to smell his scent, not able to determine what her intentions were. Soon, he couldn't help but laugh as Epona began to lick his cheek. Link knew now that Epona remembered him, and had already taken a liking to him. It was now safe.

Link stroked Epona's mane for a little bit to reassure her even more that he was her friend. He then removed the hook from the ring on the gate, unlocking it. He slowly swung it open, the gate creaking noisily. Epona remained calm, shaking her head every so often, which was normal horse behaviour as far as Link knew. Link slowly approached the side of her, where he saw the foot harness on her saddle. He supposed this was the best way to mount a horse as big as Epona. With a little hesitation, he placed his right foot in the harness, securing it in place. Once it was fixed in place, Link grabbed onto the seat of the saddle, and hoisted himself up. He swung his left leg over to other side of the horse and locked his other foot in the other harness. He was now comfortably seated on Epona's back, and he actually felt much taller and powerful from up here. He saw Ingo at the other side of the room, speechless and dumbfounded. Link couldn't help but sneer at him. Link found the reins of the saddle, and gripped them tightly. Now, Epona seemed keen on staying where she was…or was she waiting for some kind of command? Link thought briefly about how to get a horse to move. He remembered seeing people hit the horses sides with their heels, and that would make them move. He decided to try it, because he knew that as big as Epona was, there was no way that he could hurt her. He lifted his feet away from Epona's body, ready to strike it, when he saw Ingo at the back of the room. He was shaking his head in disbelief, almost waving a hand in front of him to tell Link to stop. Link gave him a wicked grin, and kicked hard against Epona's sides.

With a loud neigh, Epona reared. Link held on tight as he leaned forward, attempting to keep his balance. Her front hooves ran for a moment, before she went back on all fours and burst out of the gate with an explosion of speed. Link was shocked at how fast Epona was able to go, and he had never experienced travelling at this speed before. Ingo screamed as he ran and dove out of the way of the galloping horse, just before Epona trampled him. Link and Epona burst out of the gates of the stable that were thankfully already open, and out into the open air. Link pulled the reins to the right sharply, and Epona responded. She turned on a dime and burst out into the open field, slowly increasing her speed. Link laughed like he never had in ages as Epona sped over the yellow grass. The wind whisked past him, his bangs flying back, like hundreds of small, golden whips. His tunic and hat waved and flapped in the strong wind, and Link squinted to keep his eyes from watering. Link thought it would be best to not actually sit on the seat, because Epona's back lifted up and down when she galloped. He was now pretty much crouching on her, but it didn't slow him down, and that's all that Link cared about right now. He could hear the pounding of Epona's hooves, and the wind howling past his ears, and it was the most amazing thing he had ever experienced. This was easy! This was amazing! Link ripped through the fields like it was pure air, travelling at the same speed as falling off a tall cliff. Epona galloped faster than ever, and Link just could not stop smiling.

Link tugged on the reins to the left, and did not stop until he made a 180 degree turn back the other way, towards the stable. He wanted to see the look on Ingo's face when he found out how good he'd already become at horseback riding. Link could swear that dust was billowing behind him as he raced back toward the shed. He could see it in the distance, and he now realized how far he had travelled in such a short time. He narrowed his eyes as he concentrated on his goal. Within moments, Link was already closing in on the stable. When he looked hard enough, he saw another horse coming out of the gates. Was it Ingo? What was he doing? The horse stopped just between the farmhouse and the shelter, right at the opening to the open field. Link gradually pulled on the reins, slowing Epona down from a gallop to a canter. As he drew near, he saw that there was indeed someone on the horse. Link slowed down even more from a canter to a trot. How he could see clearly that it was Ingo on the horse. He was staring at him ominously, and looked like he was somewhat angry. Link pulled back even more, slowing to a walk. He slowly approached Ingo, who looked like he had something in store for him. When he was in speaking distance, Link halted Epona all together.

"Very good, kid," said Ingo sternly. "Maybe I was wrong about you. It looks like you have a gift for getting animals to like you."

Link smiled. "Thank you."

"Hey kid, you're pretty good," complimented Ingo. "It's not every day that I see someone who's never ridden before catch on so quickly. It looks like you might be gaining skill, and a lot of skill at that."

"What are you saying?" Link questioned.

"While you were speeding away on that horse, I got an idea," Ingo explained.

"I'm listening," said Link, eyes narrowing.

"Here," said Ingo, coolly. "Follow me and keep close, will you?"

Ingo kicked his horse off, and he began trotting out into the field. Link could only wonder what Ingo's idea was as he steered Epona out of the area and in Ingo's direction. He built up his speed to a trot as well so he could keep up, and followed Ingo's horse closely. As they rode out into the open, Link began to see that they were heading toward the large fenced area, shaped like a giant oval. What was Mr. Ingo possibly planning? It had something to do with Link's skill with horseback riding, since he got the idea when he saw him riding around. If he was heading towards the fence, and his idea was to do with Link's skill, and if he was on a horse as well…Link couldn't put his finger on it. He became eager to know what Ingo expected of him. Ingo's horse seemed to be getting a little ahead of him, so Link adjusted his speed to remain the same as him.

After a minute or so, they arrived at the fence structure. Ingo slowed his horse down to a halt, and made a hand gesture to beckon Link forward. Link made Epona walk beside Ingo's horse, and made her stop by pulling back.

Ingo pointed toward the ground by the fence. When Link looked in that direction, he saw what Ingo was pointing out to him. It was a white line, made of lime or chalk, extending out from the fenced area.

"Line up your horse behind that line, closer to the fence," Ingo instructed. Still not knowing what his intentions were, Link did what Ingo told him to do. He walked Epona over to the line painted on the ground. He turned her to the left, so he was parallel with the black, metal fence. He aligned her close to the barrier, as Ingo directed. He made sure that he front hooves were not over the line, because Link didn't like being corrected all the time. Once he was in position, Ingo lined his horse up to the left of him. Both of them were a mere two inches apart, both facing the same direction. Link shifted uneasily in the saddle as Ingo stared at him.

"Well, here's my idea," said Ingo. "As you can see, I don't have a lot of help around here, you know what I mean?"

Link looked at him. "As in a lack of workers?"

Ingo nodded. "Precisely. Kid, I don't say this much, but I believe you'd make a fine worker here. You have all the qualities of a horse breeder, you know. Let me ask you this: would it be in your interest to work for me here?"

Link paused for a moment, but ultimately shook his head. "Sorry."

Ingo grinned. "Ah, I thought so. This is where my idea comes in."

Link looked at Ingo intently.

"Since you are already fairy good at riding horses," Ingo continued. "How about a race?" He pointed to the right, and his finger followed the entire loop of the fence. "One lap around the fence, and the first one that crosses the line wins."

Link nodded. "Sounds good, but what's the catch?"

"Heh…you're a clever one," Ingo praised. "If you lose, you work for me for the next two months, under minimum wage."

Link frowned. "Is this your idea of some kind of revenge?"

Ingo laughed. "No, not exactly. It's just that I think that things will go a lot more smoothly around here if you lose this race."

"And if I win?"

"Perhaps I'll give you fifty rupees, seeing as that you're short on cash."

"Okay, it's a deal then," Link agreed. Ingo outstretched his hand, and they shook.

"It's official, then! If you win, I'll give you fifty rupees, and if I win, you work for me for the next two months," exclaimed Ingo. "Heh heh heh…it's going to be great with you on the ranch, kid. I can see you slaving away in the shed already!"

Link's nostrils flared. "Doing what, exactly?"

Ingo grinned mischievously. "Heh…learning how to _really _tame a horse. You have to control it with fear, otherwise it may turn against you. Pain and agony is all that these animals know, and that is their role in life. They are meant to serve us, and if they are disobedient, they are of no use! You will learn first-hand, the torture these animals go through, to become my own perfect steeds!"

Link felt like he was going to be sick. He thought things couldn't get any worse for the animals here, but he was horribly mistaken. Torture…what kind of twisted place was this? Ingo, that monster. Link would show him. He was going to teach him a lesson. Pain doesn't make an animal strong, it made it timid and broken. Only by love and care will any living thing be really great.

"You truly are a villain," said Link with disgust.

Ingo laughed for what seemed like minutes. "Okay, kid. Whatever you say. Get ready."

Link looked ahead down the track. There was no backing down now. He was going to show Ingo that Epona, a horse that was loved and cared for, was far greater than the poor animal he had "trained". He could feel sweat building up in his palms as he gripped the reins tight. He purposely began to breathe hard to get his adrenaline pumping. Ingo rolled his shoulders to get ready as well. Link lowered his head as he began to lift his feet away from Epona's body, ready to go.

"Ready?" said Ingo. "Three…two…one…GO!"

Link slammed his heels into Epona, and she immediately burst over the starting line. Ingo was slightly late, as he had to bring his feet up and down at the go. Link was already at a good start; about a neck ahead. He continued to kick Epona's sides, encouraging her to go faster. She reacted almost immediately, and began to put more energy into her run. Link concentrated on the path ahead, but tried to be as weary as possibly of Ingo's current location. He could hear eight hooves slamming into the dry dust, so Ingo was still very close behind. Link curled his lips as the first corner began to come close. They were racing clockwise, so Link knew he had to keep to the right if he wanted to take the inside corner, therefore giving him the advantage.

The turn came, and Link steered toward the right, but not too far because he didn't want to grind against the fence at the speed he was going. He listened closely to the hooves behind him, and with his developing warrior instincts he could tell that they were falling back. Ingo was forced to take the outside corner due his proximity with Link, therefore letting Link gain ground. The wind intensely went by, and Link was surprised his hat still was on his head. There was no time to ponder that; he had a race to win, and a ranch to save. The turn was almost over, and Link knew he had to build up his speed in order to stay in the lead on the next straightaway. He whipped the reins a little bit, and Epona brought up the speed just a little bit.

The turn ended, and now it was just a straight dirt path to the next one. Link briefly looked over his shoulder to see where Ingo was, and sure enough, he was advancing quickly from the rear. The determination and rage in his face was almost intimidating, but Link was not about to let Ingo's emotions get to him. Link could hear the hammering of Ingo's horse growing louder, drawing closer, and he found himself in a bit of a panic. If he lost, he would have no choice but to support this abomination of a ranch. He was not going to let it happen; he would not stand for it. He was going to win this race even if it killed him. Suddenly, Link had an idea. He carefully watched where Ingo was, because he would eventually have to shift over if he were to pass him. He kept up his speed, but was still watchful of what Ingo was doing behind him. Ingo was now catching up at an incredible rate, and seemed to be ready to pass him at any second. Then, Link saw it: Ingo began to shift over to the left to make his move. That's when Link made his as well. Link also moved over to the left, once again blocking Ingo's path. Link looked back and saw that Ingo was moving to the right now, trying it again. Link used the same strategy and copied his pattern. Amongst the constant beating of the hooves, Link could hear Ingo cursing. He obviously was frustrated that even though he could pass Link, he was not able to. Link now looked ahead, and saw the second and final turn approaching. He was now in a good spot at the right of the track; if Ingo took the outside turn, he would surely fall behind once again, and if he took the inside, he still wouldn't be able to pass Link.

They hit the turn, and Link would not let Epona slow down, not now. He carefully tugged the reins so he remained perfectly positioned to take the inside. He could hear the hammering of Epona's hooves grow more rapid, and it could only be a good thing for the homestretch. Link could see the dirt being kicked up by Epona, and it gave him just the adrenaline he needed.

The path once again became straight, and the finish line was just in sight. Link let his heels make contact with the horse as many times as possible, bringing her to her fastest speed yet. The wind howled by his ears like a giant monster roaring in pain. Link might've even bared his teeth as he raced toward the white line. He could hear Ingo pounding from behind, in a desperate race to get there first. Link would not let it come to pass; the race was his to win. Epona leapt across the finish line, and it was all over; Link had won.

He heard Ingo scream as he brought Epona to a stop. It sounded like Link had humiliated him, and Link could hear that fifty rupees jingling in his pockets already. Link steered Epona around to catch a defeated Ingo flailing around on top of his horse, ripping the hair out from his head. Link chuckled at the rather amusing sight. He had to admit that it was quite satisfying to see a fiend such as Ingo wallowing in defeat. It might've even been the way he reacted that brought a smile to his face. Ingo looked like he was about to pop a vein in his forehead as Link got Epona to slowly approach him.

"You!" he screamed. "You…you cheater! You cheated! How dare you!"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Cheated?"

"You cut me off!" Ingo bellowed. "On the second straightaway! When I moved left, you moved left. When I moved right, you moved right! That's cheating!"

Link smiled and shrugged. "Well, you didn't explain that before. Now, who's fault is that?"

Ingo was furious. He was being talked down to like he was a child. Quite frankly, however, Link was enjoying it.

"It doesn't matter!" Ingo yelled. "You still cheated, and that makes it an unfair race!"

Link frowned. "The rules you explained were that we take one lap around the fenced area, and the first one across the finish line wins. You never said anything about cutting each other off, so how is that breaking the rules?"

Ingo drew in breath, his head shaking with fury, but all that came out was a quick exhale, for he didn't know a good comeback for that. Link had him, and now it was time to reap the rewards.

"Now," said Link calmly. "I believe I've earned a little bit of money from my victory." Link outstretched his palm, ready to receive the cash. Ingo stared at his hand, his face beat-red, and then harshly swatted it away.

"I'm not paying you anything! I demand a rematch!" he roared.

Link frowned once more. "Now what is the justice in that?"

"I'm not giving you anything until I get my rematch, and that's final!" Ingo said sternly. "If you refuse to race again, then I am automatically declared the winner!"

Link's eyes burned. Ingo was desperate for a rematch, and the consequences for not accepting his demands would be dire. However, Link was pretty confident that he would be able to trap him.

"Alright," he said. "I'll race you again, but under one condition."

"And what's that?" asked Ingo, still fuming.

"You have to give me an even bigger prize if I win. Something a lot more valuable than fifty rupees."

Ingo's eyes widened, and they almost looked like they were bloodshot.

"So," Link went on. "What'll it be, Mr. Ingo? It's your call."

Almost every vein in Ingo's forehead was pulsating. Link could tell that he was about to explode in fury. Link knew he had to accept his offer though, for he was desperate.

"You…you…little" Ingo growled. He eventually exhaled and let himself think. He was still steaming, however. "If you win…" he began. "You can keep…"

Link leaned forward slightly on the saddle, eager to hear what Ingo was going to say.

"…the horse!" Ingo screamed finally. "There, is that what you want, you smart little kid? If you beat me again, which I assure you, you wont, you can keep the bloody horse!"

Link grinned, fully satisfied. "I accept your wager, Mr. Ingo. Care to explain the rules a little more clearly this time?"

Link was sure Ingo's head was going to explode after that statement, but it came just short. All Ingo's face did was get even redder than it was before.

"One lap around the fenced area," Ingo began. "No cutting off, no physical contact, no dirty tricks, and the first one over the finish line wins. Is that clear?"

"Clear as mud," Link responded. For some reason, though, that line that Link just said sounded somewhat familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.

"Okay!" exclaimed Ingo, now very impatient. "Now, can we get this underway, please?"

"Very well," said Link, as he aimed Epona once again to the starting line. He brought her up to a trot and approached at a moderate speed. Link felt really good about this. If he won, he could keep Epona! His very own horse…Link only dreamt about it as a child. Now, a good dream was coming true for once. All Link had to do was beat Ingo to the finish, and she would be his. Link knew that Ingo would be a lot harder to beat, since he couldn't cut him off and a lot more than fifty rupees was on the line right now. Maybe Link couldn't save the ranch, but he could at least save one animal from this torture chamber.

He arrived at the starting line again, in the same spot. Ingo once again started to the left of him. Link took in a deep breath, and exhaled as he once again looked down the straightaway. He could hear Ingo muttering under his breath as he himself got ready as well. Link wasn't doing it for himself this time; he was doing it for the very thing he was on top of right now. He saw Ingo swallow, looking like he was ready to start the race. Link waited for the countdown, so he could bring his feet off Epona's sides once more so he could get the head start.

"GO!" screamed Ingo, and he burst ahead of Link before he even started.

It looked like Ingo didn't give Link any warning of the beginning. So far it looked like he was the dirty player this round. Link kicked off the starting point, and quickly sped up to a gallop. Ingo was around ten feet ahead of him, and that gap wasn't lessening. Link kept behind him, however, and decided that he would make his move on the second straightaway. Ingo was brutally hitting the horse with his hand, trying to get it to speed up. Link shook his head at the cruelty, but he had to keep going. If he concentrated too much on that horse's agony, then he wouldn't have enough attention to win this race. He managed to pick up his speed a little more, and the howling wind was once again present. The first turn was drawing near, and Link drifted to the right to take the inside turn, just as Ingo was doing. All Link wanted at this point was to maintain his distance between him and Ingo.

When they hit the turn, Ingo got to it soon enough so that Link could only see him through the bars of the metal fence as it curved to the right. He squinted as he tried his best to concentrate on keeping to the right of the curve so he wouldn't lose any ground on Ingo. He could tell he was losing it anyway though, for the sound of Ingo's Horse's hooves were slowly becoming more tranquil. Link had to pick up the pace soon if he were going to catch up. He whipped the reins a little to increase his speed just a notch, but not too much to make Epona lose her energy. Ingo had just started on the second straightaway, and now was the time to bring up the pace a lot more, even though Link wasn't quite finished the turn. He began to whip the reins and kick Epona's sides to accelerate her speed dramatically just as he came off the turn.

Epona galloped so much faster, Link didn't realize how fast he was catching up to Ingo, who was just going over the halfway point of the second straightaway. His sight transformed to tunnel vision, exclusively focused on Ingo and his horse. Every second, Link gained a foot on his opponent, and Ingo looked back at him occasionally, possibly realizing this. Ingo went a little faster, but he couldn't get any faster than Epona was going right now. It felt like Link was tugging a rope, slowly pulling Ingo towards him, ready to push him behind and take the lead. Link was now less than three feet away from him, and felt that now was the time to shift over and pass him. However, before Link could even act, Ingo's horse kicked up a lot of dust, and it flew right into Link's face, blinding him and temporarily cutting off his air. Although Epona continued to run, she neighed in pain, as it appeared that she got dust in her eyes. Ingo cackled as he sped toward the final turn. Epona slowed down significantly, and Ingo was gaining a lot of ground. Epona almost seemed like she was about to stop and give up all together. This couldn't be happening, now of all times. Ingo…he knew that his horse would kick up that pile of dust. Ingo was cheating against the rules he clearly stated. Now, he was going way ahead and Epona continued to slow down as she gradually got the dust out of her eyes. Link couldn't lose, not after all this. He couldn't work here, he just couldn't. He could not support such evil. Ingo was so far ahead of him now that victory for Link now seemed utterly impossible. Link had to try. He had never failed anything on his quest without trying. If he was going to lose, he wasn't going down without a fight.

"Come on, Epona," Link encouraged her. "I know you can do it. Just try."

Epona didn't seem to be speeding up at all, as she was still in pain. She continued at the slow pace she was at. Ingo was now closing in on the halfway point of the turn.

"I believe in you, Epona. Just run. Don't let someone like Mr. Ingo humiliate you like this."

Still, no effect. Link felt hopeless. There was nothing he could do to speed Epona up, and Ingo had just passed the halfway point of the turn. Now he would have to work for Ingo, torturing animals against his own will. What a fate for the Hero of Time…he screwed everything up. He wished the ranch never became what it was. He wished it was still as it was back in the good old days…

Link flinched. The good old days…that was it! He had to remind Epona of Malon! He quickly leaned toward Epona's ear. He summoned up the melody in his head, and made an effort to whistle Epona's Song. He wasn't the greatest whistler, but he got the basic melody out.

Before Link could even finish the melody, Epona neighed and reared triumphantly, hope flowing through her again.

"No, Epona!" Link screamed. "Run! Run!"

Epona landed on all fours, and exploded into a gallop. Link's heart almost flew out of his mouth when he realized how fast he was going. This was the fastest Epona ever ran. In fact, it might've been twice the speed of Ingo's horse.

In a matter of two seconds, they had already ripped onto the turn, and Link almost forgot to direct Epona around it by using the reins. Ingo had just come off the turn, and was now speeding toward the finish line. As Epona continued to pick up even more speed, all of the objects surrounding became blurred. The wind howling by his ears was now overwhelming. Epona violently slammed her hooves into the ground, determined to go beyond her full potential. She was going so fast…Link felt that they were about to take off and fly.

Epona flew onto the final straightaway, and Ingo was in clear sight. He was almost at the finish line, and seemed pretty confident that he was going to win. As long as Link was around, he wasn't going to win that easy. Link kicked Epona's sides as hard as he could, making her do the impossible and run even faster. The blurs all around him blended with each other, for they were so spread apart. Every second, Link must've gained ten feet on Ingo. He must've been inches from the finish now. Suddenly, Ingo looked around in horror as he saw Epona running directly at him as fast as lightning. He screamed in absolute terror as the steed blew right past him, and ran right across the finish, seconds before he did. Link couldn't believe it, but he won. He won…

Link was so happy. He had freed Epona from her imprisonment here, and she was his. All his. She was his to love and to care for, like she had been so many years ago. She would surely accompany him on his new quest, and just maybe get him through it easier. Maybe, just maybe, there was a little hope after all. If Link could save one life, even if it were not human, it was worth it in the end. Epona slowed down to a happy trot, as if she knew what had happened as well.

Link heard Ingo scream behind him. He turned Epona around to get a good look at the man who he had humiliated twice. Ingo had turned his horse toward the house again. He cantered for a bit, once again pulling the hair out of his head. It was pretty dangerous not holding onto the reins with your horse going that fast. Eventually he leaned back to far, and he fell right off the saddle, almost hitting the horse's back hooves in the process. He slammed into the dirt, and the horse ran off in the other direction, now free of his control. Ingo frantically scrambled to his feet and began to hold his hip in pain. He limped forward, trying to get within the premises of the house and stable. Once he was between the two, he stumbled over to the side. He staggered around for a few seconds, for what reason Link was unsure of. He eventually had to put a hand on the stable to support himself. His head lowered as he began to catch his breath, but Link knew that he must've been devastated. He decided it would be best to confront him.

He brought Epona up to a trot, and made his way toward Ingo's position. As he closed in, he saw that Ingo was pounding his fist into the wall, making loud thuds. Link's bottom lip curled as he thought of what Ingo would do now. If he called for a rematch for the last race, he could do it again. Link wouldn't accept, since he won fair and square, and Ingo was the one who cheated.

Ingo eventually saw him coming, staggered off the wall, and accidentally collapsed on the ground again. He looked completely out of it, probably shattered due to his lost gamble. Link stopped his horse just short of the two buildings, and stared at the ranch's crippled owner. Ingo once again got to his feet, tugging on his thinning hair.

Ingo looked at him, his eyes now definitely bloodshot.

"What's up with that horse!" he screamed. It seemed like he was almost hyperventilating with rage now. "Is that Epona?"

Link smiled and nodded, answering affirmatively to Ingo's question.

Ingo shook his head in disbelief. "How…how did you tame that horse right under my nose! No horse becomes that obedient and that fast in an instant!"

Link shrugged, not telling him what he actually did with that song.

Ingo staggered around, still tugging on his hair. "Epona…that was the horse I was going to present to the Great Ganondorf…but I bet it on the race and lost! Shooot!

Link grinned. Now without his prized horse, Ingo was finished. His goal had been eradicated due to his reckless actions. Link wouldn't know what he would do with the ranch now, but perhaps his intentions would be much different now that all hope was lost on gaining recognition from Ganondorf.

Ingo ran his fingers through his oily hair in frustration.

"If the Great Ganondorf found out about this humiliation…" he muttered under his breath. He looked up at Link with his icy eyes. Link could see right through them; he was getting an idea. Link's heart sunk once Ingo lifted his head up, bearing a wicked grin. He suddenly began to laugh, and began to walk over to the side of the path, towards an open gate that Link just noticed.

"As I promised…" said Ingo as he began to reach for the gate. "…I'll give the horse to you. However…" he said with a wicked tone. He unhooked the gate, setting it lose. "…I'll never let you leave this ranch!"

With that, Ingo threw the gate to the side, letting it swing out it Link's direction. It creaked loudly as it moved, making Link's ears hurt. It eventually slammed into a lock attached to the stable, and blocked Link's path from exiting the ranch. Link's eyes widened when he finally realized what Ingo was doing. By blocking his way of exit, Link was to never leave the ranch, and never to expose Ingo's humiliation.

"I can't just let you run around Kakariko Village and tell everyone what just happened, can I? So many rumours…I won't allow my reputation to lessen even more over there."

Link stared at him, eyes narrowed. Ingo had clearly lost his mind, and was now making a foolish attempt to save himself. He could not accept the fact that he lost, and did not to let his miserable failure to be spread around the public. If such information was released, his career would be finished.

Ingo stared at him through the black bars of the gate, laughing hysterically. He evidently was getting quite a kick out of seeing Link trapped in there, as if he felt that he defeated him in the end.

One side of Link's mouth lifted, and a smug grin was created. He had an idea to wipe that smile off Ingo's face for good. He leaned forward toward Epona's ear, and whispered into it.

"Okay, Epona. You'll know what to do when you see it. Just follow my lead."

Link kicked Epona's sides hard, and she burst into a gallop, towards the gate that Ingo closed. Suddenly, Ingo was not laughing anymore, and his face sagged. His eyes must've grown to the size of tennis balls when he saw the confident look on Link's face. Link got Epona to go even faster, and she gradually increased her speed as well, most likely now realizing what Link wanted her to do. Her hooves beat the ground with incredible force as she continued to race towards the gate. Ingo began to slowly back away from the gate, thinking that they were about to ram right through. In a matter of seconds, Link and Epona would smash right into the gate, but Link already had a plan.

"Now, Epona!" yelled Link when they were just about to make contact. Hearing Link's command, Epona kicked off the ground, and jumped right over the black fence. Link felt like he was in slow-motion as he flew over Ingo's head. As he heard Ingo scream, he chuckled modestly. Their altitude eventually decreased, and Epona landed. She ran for a bit before Link pulled hard on the reins, and halted her completely with a skid.

Link lifted himself off of his horse, and dismounted. When his feet touched the ground, he felt actually quite short, for he was already so used to being on Epona's back. He stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders, getting used to being on foot once again. He turned is head, and saw Ingo cowering by the gate, now speechless. Link began to approach him on foot, and he could see Ingo visibly panic. As he closed in, Ingo was going to pieces more by the second. Link could only imagine what could've been going through his mind was he backed away from the man who he had tried countless times to get rid of. Now, Link had the upper hand and Ingo was the one that was defenceless.

"No…no! Get away!" Ingo screamed.

Link grinned. "Why should I?"

Ingo tripped and fell onto the ground once more, and scurried against the wall in fear. He cowered before Link, whose shadow was now being cast over him. He was trembling all over, shrinking against the wall.

"Please…" Ingo pleaded. "Don't…don't tell anyone…"

Link reached down and grabbed Ingo by the collar. He yanked him up and slammed his body against the wall, pinning him while still keeping a strong grip. He reached back and pulled the Master Sword from its sheath. It rang once it was removed, like a high-pitched singing note. Link held its sharp blade horizontally across Ingo's neck menacingly. Ingo moved his head away from the blade, but he could not take his eyes off of it.

"No…don't…don't kill me! Please!" Ingo begged.

"Why do you think you deserve to live?" asked Link, breathing hard. "You mutated and twisted this place from a peaceful ranch into something of evil. Torturing animals, using them for your own profit. Why shouldn't I kill you?"

Ingo breathed through his teeth as sweat began pouring down his forehead, unable to speak.

Link could suddenly feel Navi moving down the top of his head, eventually lifting up his cap and hanging upside-down in front of his right eye.

"Link, leave him alone," she said. "You've already done enough damage to him as it is."

Ingo stared at Link's guardian fairy in disbelief. "That…that fairy…" he muttered. "I've…seen it before…" Ingo suddenly looked at Link with wide eyes. "You're that kid…Malon's friend!"

Link roared, and flung Ingo off the wall, sending him rolling on the ground to the right.

"I'm not a little kid anymore!" Link bellowed. "How dare you even mention those times as if they weren't precious!"

"Link, stop it!" Navi screamed.

Ingo tried to sit up, but Link put his boot on his chest before he could act, once again threateningly pointing the tip of his blade at his throat.

"No…no!" Ingo screamed, thinking it was the end.

"Stop it, Link! Stop it!" Navi continued to cry. "Leave him alone!"

Link couldn't stop, not now. He ignored his guardian fairy and took great pleasure in seeing Ingo at his mercy. A wicked grin appeared on Link's face, as even he could feel himself loosing his mind. All he had to do to kill him was to thrust forward, and the ranch would be saved. He was going to do it. He didn't care what anyone thought. This was what he wanted to do, and it was what was going to happen. He slowly drew back the blade, ready to rip through the soft flesh of Ingo's neck.

Suddenly, Link screamed. He fell back a few steps and the tip of the Master Sword was taken away from Mr. Ingo's neck. Link clutched his chest in agony as white-hot spears of pain crackled outward from that point. It was the same feeling he had when he was talking to Rauru. Link gasped for air as the pain began to affect his lungs. His skin felt like it was splitting apart, as if some alien presence inside him was trying to escape. His ribs felt like they were bending and twisting out of proportion. He went down to one knee and plunged the tip of the Master Sword into the ground for support. He breathed hard through his teeth as he attempted to take the pain. He began to pound the side of his fist to his chest, trying to keep whatever was trying to escape at bay. He began to feel his limbs failing him, as they were quivering as they supported his body. He desperately rammed his fist even harder, in some thoughtless struggle to defeat this agony.

As quickly as it had started, it stopped. The same thing happened to him again as it did earlier. This only made Link wonder even more what this bloody thing was. What was inside of him that tried so desperately to escape? Many questions buzzed in his mind right now. Link feared, however, that most of them could not be answered.

Navi flew towards him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Link coughed. "I'm fine for now. Thanks for asking."

"What was that?" Navi asked.

"I don't know," Link replied. "I supposed I'll figure it out in due time. I'm also certain it's not going to be the last one."

He once again looked at Ingo, who was slowly getting to his feet. For some reason, after the pain Link just experienced, he didn't have so much of an urge to kill anymore. Instead, he had a better idea.

"You!" Link called out, making Ingo jump. "I won't tell anyone about you losing the race, under one condition."

"Yes!" said Ingo. "I'll do anything."

"Give up the ranch," Link ordered. Ingo stared at him, blank faced. The reason he didn't want Link to tell everyone about what happened today was the fear of losing the ranch. Now, the only way to keep that from happening was giving it up.

"But…" Ingo stuttered. "But…what will I…I mean, who will I give it to?"

"Find this ranch's previous owner," Link explained. "Find him, and tell him you're giving the ranch back to him. Tell him that running it was far too hard, and you are offering to work for him again."

"But…what about the Great Ganondorf? If he ever finds out about this he'd surely kill me!"

"Keep a low profile," Link instructed. "Ganondorf has a lot more things to worry about than a little ranch on the hill. Believe me, he does. Now, go!"

Ingo nodded quickly. "Yes…yes, okay! I'll give the ranch back to Talon. Thank you, thank you, sir. Thank you for sparing me!"

"Go on," said Link, waving his hand. "Get out of here."

Ingo nodded, and silently turned around toward the exit. He then sprinted down the path that lead to Hyrule Field, and within moments, was gone. Link had far surpassed his own expectations by saving the ranch. He now had his own horse, Talon and Malon would surely be returning now, and hopefully he now had a place to stay to rest for the long day ahead. Well, at least he had ground to stand on now to begin the liberation of Hyrule. It may have not been that large, but it was something to build from.

"Navi," said Link. "Sorry about me freaking out back there."

"Pfft…" Navi sighed. "Yeah, you better be. You really scared me."

"I'm sorry," Link apologized again. "I can't really explain it. It was as if some demonic part of me awakened on the outside, sucking my true self deep within. I suppose that's a simple way of putting it."

"I still don't understand what came over you," said Navi. "I mean, I've never really seen you so aggressive to someone who's defenceless. It's just not like you, you know what I mean?"

Link nodded. "I know. Like I said before, I wasn't being myself."

Suddenly, a sound was heard behind him. Navi flinched and scrambled under Link's cap, while Link got to his feet. He hurriedly put the Master Sword back into his sheath, and turned around to see what was behind him. It was the door of the farmhouse, and it was open just a crack. A chain lock from the inside kept it from opening all the way, but the gap was big enough for Link to see through. However, behind the door, something caught his eye. There were two eyes, human, and they were staring straight at him. It looked like someone was inside the house, but Link couldn't tell who. They glared at him intently, with a unique shine. Whoever this person was, they must've seen what had happened here.

"Um…I don't know how to say this, but thank you," said the person. It was a woman, and she had the most beautiful voice. It was smooth and warm, comforting in a way.

"Oh, uh, sure, no problem," Link replied bashfully, not really knowing what to say.

"Is…is Mr. Ingo coming back? Where did he go?" the woman asked, almost worriedly.

"I sent him to go get Talon, the previous owner of the ranch. He's giving the ranch back to him, since he doesn't want me telling everyone what happened here."

The woman was silent for a moment. Link couldn't even hear her breathing. Did what he just say shock her? Suddenly she spoke again, softer than before.

"That's…that's great. Wonderful, actually," she said. She paused. "Wait…how did you…how did you know the name of my…father?"

Link's heart must have flipped and spun inside his chest ten times before his brain registered what the woman just said. Did she just say…her…father? Talon was her…father? It couldn't be, that was impossible. But yet, how was it not possible?

Link's jaw tremble, as he slowly opened his mouth. "…Malon?"

The eyes of the woman suddenly widened dramatically, and her pupils shrunk to the size of breadcrumbs. They began to quiver, as she stared at him with the same disbelief that that Link was expressing to her.

"…Fairy Boy?"


	22. Old Friends

22

_Old Friends_

_Hundreds of beating black wings filled the evening sky, as a dark cloud moved swiftly over the plains. The Guay flew furiously, as they had just caught a scent from the Hero. It was strong, and the particles were still floating in the air._

_The trail was still warm._

_From what their primitive senses could tell, he had been here approximately four hours ago. He headed south, and that's where they were going to go. Lord Kanakana and the Great Ganondorf would be most pleased if they were to report their findings in intricate detail, as they were always capable of. Such things didn't go unnoticed for them, as they were professional spies. They were able to blend into the night sky, making it the best time for hunting, even if it were not for a kill. They squawked and cawed constantly, communicating with each other somehow as they angrily beat their wings. Oh, was the scent of the Hero ever so strong. It would be a cakewalk locating him, but their challenge was to remain perfectly unnoticeable to him. If he were to locate them, they planned to look as innocent as possible, making him think they were normal, harmless crows out for a midnight fly._

_If one were to view them from afar, it would be quite an intimidating sight. There were about two hundred of them, all in one giant swarm of black wings and orange beaks. It dipped and swerved constantly, since maintaining a perfectly straight flight pattern when your view is mostly blocked by the others is merely impossible. If they kept up this pace, they would surely catch up to the Hero of Time within several hours. If he had stopped moving, then that time would be even shorter. According to Lord Kanakana's brief instructions, they were to simply find and track the Hero and his actions. He never mentioned anyone else. Usually the Guay's spy missions involved more than one target; usually a group of them. One subject was unusual to them, but it could be done just as well as their usual assignments. From what their intellect could conclude, Ganondorf thought of this man as a threat to his power. Why else would he want to know of his current position and activity? More importantly, Ganondorf tended to destroy his enemies; not let them live. He hadn't used his spies since the Second-Year Revolts, in which there was a small rebellion against Ganondorf and the high powers made by a rogue group of Hylians. The whole ordeal didn't last any longer than two weeks, but the Guay's spying talents were key in victory. All of the rebel's actions were carefully watched and examined, making every defensive manoeuvre and counter-attack effective and devastating to the rebellion. The rebels eventually surrendered the Great Ganondorf, who in turn recruited them as slaves on the military grounds. No such effort was made since then, and the Guay were locked up in that underground cave for five years. Now, to be released into the world once again to watch one kid seemed unusual._

_However, one man causing their release was something that had never been seen before. There was something about him…something that Ganondorf saw in him that he saw as a threat, but wanted to keep active. If it was truly a mortal blow waiting to happen, he would waste no time in exterminating him, but all he wanted was full awareness of his activity. The Guay could not understand what the Great Ganondorf's intentions truly were, but it was not for them to question. They were to carry out their duty just as Kanakana requested them, for it is what they lived for. The Hero was to be found, and judging by how strong the scent was, it was immanent. Who knew how the Great Ganondorf would reward them when they successfully tracked a target as important as the Hero of Time?_

_The Guay flew onward into the reddening sky of the summer evening. The distinctive smell of the Hero growing stronger and fresher by the second. However…as they went on, they began to detect something else…an entirely new smell. It followed the same path as the Hero, and it was a lot warmer…more recent. Something, or someone had been following the Hero of Time. It was a scent they had never picked up before, but it thankfully did not muffle the Hero's smell. Whatever it was, someone else was onto the Hero's trail…a third party._

_Was someone else keeping track of the Hero of Time besides the Great Ganondorf?

* * *

_

Link and Malon continued to stare at each other through the small opening in the door. It seemed like minutes now, and neither of them spoke a word. Navi, sitting on Link's head, tapped her tiny fingers impatiently. At one point, she flew in front of Link's face and waved one arm in front of his eyes, trying to make him snap out of his trance but to no effect. Link's jaw twitched every so often, the muscles supporting beginning to get tired since it was hanging down for so long. Malon's eyes, almost hidden in shadow were unblinking as she too stared in disbelief. She hadn't seen him in seven years, and even though those seven felt like an instant to Link, he felt that it had been just as long. Link might've even seen the sparkle of a tear come from one of Malon's eyes, or he could've just been seeing things, delusional because it may have been in fact his own. Even the wind seemed to have hushed in this uneasy silence. It was really hard to register that this was actually Malon, the friend who he had made on the earlier days of his quest. Her voice wasn't the one he had remembered, though. It was a lot more mature; that of a young woman. It didn't surprised Link, though, since if he grew up, then so did she. He really wanted to see what she looked like now, as an adult. She could see him as a grownup, but he couldn't see through doors, so she would have to open it a little bit more so he could take a good look at her.

Suddenly, as if Malon was reading his mind, she suddenly shut the door. Link thought that she was afraid of him by keeping him outside and her in, but soon he began to hear many sliding noises and clicks from inside. It sounded like Malon was releasing the many locks on the door. Judging by how long it was taking, it seemed like there was an excessive amount. However, during these times, Link supposed that it wouldn't be unwise to have so many. He began to get anxious as the clicks began to get lower and lower to the ground, the door getting closer and closer to being finally unlocked. One final tick, and then there was silence. Link saw the knob of the door slowly turn, and could hear the latch slowly being slid out. The knob stopped turning, and with a light push, the door slowly began to open. It creaked as the rusty hinges began to move. Inch by inch, Malon was slowly revealed.

It was odd…looking at himself seven years into the future gave him a basic idea of how a boy physically matured into a man, and looking at Malon gave him the same concept except for it being a girl maturing into a woman. As he noticed with himself when he saw his adult body for the first time, he saw the same major features of Malon that she had as a child. Her fiery red hair was still as prominent as always, and her blue eyes still had the same sparkle they used to. However, the changes in her figure were more noticeable than the features that remained the same. Her face was a lot smoother, and her eyes were slightly prettier and, Link had to admit, more attractive. Of course, she was a lot taller than she used to be, but just slightly shorter than Link by an inch or two. Her body was fully developed; a lot more complex than when she was young. Many more curves were present, giving her more of an elegant appearance. Her torso narrowed in width just slightly under her ribs, and then widened out down near her hips. Her…what happened to her chest! It didn't take Link very long to realize what had happened there…let's just say it was matured as well. He tried his best not to stare; it was Malon after all. The clothes she was wearing somewhat represented her physical growth as well; different, but some similarities. Her shirt was of the same design as her old dress: white, with blue designs on the trims. The same yellow scarf tied together with a pendant shaped like some sort of creature with horns was still around her neck. Instead of wearing one single article of clothing, she now had a combination. She had a long, pink skirt that reached down just above her ankles, with a separate piece of brown fabric on top, bearing many designs engraved in a brownish-red dye. It was all fixed to her with a somewhat thick belt, with a symbol of the Triforce on the buckle. She still wore brown boots as she used to, but Link doubted that they were the very same ones she wore when he saw her last.

Link had never seen her with that facial expression before. Usually when she was surprised to see him there would be a big smile on her face, and she's most likely be laughing. However, when he looked at her now, it was like an entirely new Malon; a side of her he'd never seen before. The shock displayed in her face was unlike anything he had ever seen. Link suddenly snapped out of it; if he gawked at Malon for too much longer he'd probably have a really stupid look on his face. When she saw Link shake his head, trying to get out of the trance she put him in, she raised her jaw, closing her mouth. Her eyes still showed the same expression of shock though, which Link couldn't help but notice. Malon suddenly turned to the right, and looked like she was reaching for something.

She still hadn't said anything…what was she possibly trying to get with Link standing right here? A few strange noises were made, and Malon turned back, once again facing Link. She was now holding a small metal bucket in her hand, and she was gripping it tightly. What would she do with a bucket? She hadn't even said "hello" yet. What kind of strange greeting was this?

Suddenly, Malon's facial expression changed from that of shock to anger, and she made no hesitation in drawing back her arm and hurling the bucket at him. It made full contact with Link's unsuspecting forehead, making a ringing clang as it bounced straight off. Link held his forehead in agony as his vision blurred and began to stumble around.

"Ahhh…what!" Link blurted.

He could hear Malon sorting through more objects behind him, eventually picking something up again.

"This is for never writing to me!" Malon yelled as the end of a broom handle drove itself into Link's spine, making his body jolt as his nerves were nudged. Link grunted as he tripped and fell face first onto the ground.

"This is for never bothering to visit me!" Malon cried once again as a large, rusty ladle hit the back of Link's thigh. Link yelped as he turned over onto his back, eventually sitting up and holding his leg in pain. He was soon sent right back down when a kitchen plate smashed on the top of his head.

"That was for never dropping by to say hello!" Malon screamed. Link squirmed on the ground as the pain on the top of his head began to grow immensely. Malon picked up a stray cuckoo and booted it in Link's direction. It squawked as it landed on Link's side and began to flap its wings uncontrollably, feathers flying everywhere. It eventually ran off, Link not knowing where exactly it came from. The next thing he knew, a glass bottle shattered on his shoulder. Link roared in pain as he gripped his it and continued to roll around on the ground. He grunted and bit his lip as the pain did not seem to be going away. When he looked back up, he saw Malon stepping out of the doorway, approaching him menacingly. Fire burned in her eyes and her hands were clenched in fists.

"No!" Link begged as Malon's shadow was casting over him. "No, Malon! Please! I give up!"

Malon stood over him, looking ready to pounce at any given moment.

"I'm sorry!" Link yelled as he put his hands in front of his face, palms facing outward. "Just…just don't hurt me! Ugh…"

Malon blinked, and suddenly the flame in her eyes was extinguished. Her hands relaxed, and a look of sympathy appeared on her face. Link was still breathing hard, still kind of paranoid that she was going continue to harm him. Malon continued to stare at him, with no signs of anger present in her eyes. It looked as if she was thinking. Link flinched when she suddenly knelt down beside him. She gently brushed his bangs, making them neat again. Link was too confused to say anything or even move. He just stared back at her. Malon then slowly leaned towards him, her hand resting just beside his ear.

"…and this is for coming back."

Malon kissed Link on the lips, delicately but firmly. Link's eyes widened and his body tensed. He didn't know what to do. This was a little awkward, but Link didn't really have the heart to just shrug her off; that would be rude. He didn't kiss her back, because he was afraid that would give the wrong message to Malon. He just laid there and let Malon have her way with him. At least it was better than getting random objects thrown at him. It was kind of nice…it was the first act of real kindness he received since he returned to Hyrule. Maybe he should just enjoy it; it was the first time that Malon actually kissed him.

Malon eventually stopped, and lifted her head away from Link's. She stared at him for a moment, most likely seeing Link's raised eyebrow. She exhaled and slowly stood up. She extended her hand in Link's direction, and wincing from the pain in his shoulder, Link took a hold of it. Malon hoisted Link up to his feet, and that's when he felt the true impact of Malon's assault. He grunted as he felt the ache spread throughout his entire body.

"Sorry about that," Malon apologized with a friendly smile.

"Geez, Malon!" Link complained as he rubbed his head. "You could've been a little less harsh!"

Malon frowned and shrugged. "Hey, you deserved it."

"No I didn't!"

"Well, I have to admit you kind of did, Link," said Navi, hovering between the two.

"Navi!" Link growled as Malon laughed.

"Okay, okay. Maybe I was a little ruthless," Malon admitted. "Still, though. It's been a long time since I've even heard from you. Look at you! All grown up…I'm surprised I still remember you!"

Link glared at Malon. "Yeah…all grown up. I'm not sure about you."

Malon roller her eyes. "Oh, give it a rest, will you? I said I was sorry, okay?" She crossed her arms, smirking. "Maybe it would be a little courteous of you to ask how I've been the past…how long has it been? Six? Seven years?"

Link blinked. "Oh, all right. How have you been, Malon?"

"Could've been better," Malon said smugly. She quickly eyed Epona, waiting patiently near the exit of the ranch. "So…she's yours now, isn't she?"

Link turned to look at the horse was well. "Oh, Epona?"

Malon nodded.

"Well, yes, now at least," Link replied. "I-I can give her back to you if you want…"

Malon smiled. "No, that's okay. I think she really likes you. As long as you take good care of her, I don't have a problem with her being your horse."

Link hesitantly smiled and nodded. "Really? Erm…well…thanks, Malon. I appreciate it, I really do."

"Think nothing of it. I think it's about time Epona spent some time with someone other than me." A mischievous grin suddenly swept across her face. "However, Link, one slip-up with that horse and I'll have your head, do you understand?"

Link chuckled. "Okay, I understand. No abuse of any kind to Epona, or else you are going to brutally sever my head off with a rusty saw."

"That's right," said Malon with a smile. "And believe me when I say this: I'm not very good at sawing."

Link felt rather strange after laughing at something as horrible as that. "Well, anyway, it's good to see you again, Malon."

"Hey, it's good to see an old friend, isn't it? I'm glad you came back, after so many years," said Malon kindly. "I still don't know why you were gone for so long. I thought you were dead, since a lot of people died that day at Hyrule Castle, and that was the day after I saw you last."

Link bit his lip and nodded glumly. "Yes, tragic, isn't it?"

"It's a good thing I didn't really know anyone over there, or else it would be even more devastating over here," said Malon, frowning. "Still though…I was really shocked when it happened. All those poor people…and the army too. I heard they were decimated."

Link sighed. "No, it wasn't a pleasant sight. It wasn't only the people that were harmed as well."

Malon nodded. "Yeah, the city itself. I used to go there every two weeks or so. Now it's dangerous to even get near it." She looked off to the north. "There's always smoking rising from it. I don't know why; I don't know what goes on in there now."

"To tell you the truth, neither do I," Link admitted. "All that space…all of that secrecy…who knows what they are planning?"

Malon's eyes narrowed. "They?"

"The enemy."

"Enemy? What enemy? Link, what are you talking about?"

Link's mouth opened slightly. "You know…Ganondorf? The Great King of Evil?"

"Oh, him," Malon mumbled. "I take it you don't like him very much, do you?"

Link shook his head. "Nope."

Malon crossed her arms. "I see. I don't think you're alone. There are many out there that really wish he weren't king, and that the attacks never took place."

"Are you one of them?" Link asked.

Malon shrugged. "I'm neither. I've never really seen what was so 'great' about him, and in fact during my youth I hated him, so to speak, for what he did."

Link nodded. "Go on."

"Well, the other side of the story is that there has to me somebody running the country, otherwise it would be complete chaos, you know what I mean? The thing is the old king was killed on the day the castle was attacked." Her lips curled as she began to summon old memories. "We all thought that once everything was said and done, little Princess Zelda would become queen after they had had their way with the castle and its treasure. However, she disappeared after that event…no one has seen her since that day. Naturally, Ganondorf crowned himself the king and no one could really argue with his reasoning."

"How come?" Link asked.

"Well, number one, he did defeat the Hylian army, and we did need some kind of protection from third parties. His army was naturally bigger and better, so that was kind of a plus. Second of all, you couldn't just expect him to destroy everything there and leave it there to rot. He would have to take over since it was his decision in the first place to attack it."

"Why do you think he deserved it?" said Link. "He deceived everyone. He made a false peace treaty with us and then stabbed us in the back when we weren't looking."

Malon closed her eyes and sighed gloomily. She suddenly looked up at him.

"Maybe you want to talk about this inside? My legs are getting tired and it would be a lot easier to get my thoughts out if I'm sitting down."

"Oh, that reminds me," said Link. "Do you mind if I stay the night? I have nowhere to live as of the moment."

"Sure," said Malon enthusiastically. "It's the least I can do. Maybe we can talk over a cup of coffee?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Coffee?"

Malon giggled. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?" She tapped her chin. "Well…most people don't really like it the first time; it's more of an acquired taste. I guess I can load yours up with sugar to make it a lot sweeter if you don't like it." She turned around and opened the door inside the house. "Come on in! Make sure you take your boots off at the front door; I just finished cleaning the floors."

* * *

_Saria sat on the lone tree stump in her favourite spot in the woods. Her feet were crossed, rocking back and forth as her cradled her ocarina in her hands on her lap. She was trying to think of a song to play, or maybe make one up. She had been playing her favourite song for too long, and it was about time she played something else. As she scanned through her mental list of the songs she knew how to play, it was really hard to pick one that she was really in the mood for._

_Suddenly, one popped into mind. Saria slipped the mouthpiece between her lips, and began to play. It was a song she made dedicated to the forest. She was inspired to compose it ever since things began to change in the woods. It was like something she used to remind herself of the times when the forest was still a haven from all forms of evil._

_Ever since the Great Deku Tree wilted, things were not as they were in the forest. The effects of his death did not take affect until a few months after his passing. The Deku Tree's power was what maintained the balance in the forest, and in death, the power was no more. The Kokiri thought nothing of it, and continued on with their daily lives. Of course, everyone grieved for the deceased guardian spirit, but little did they know that the consequences of his death would affect the entire forest greatly. A month or two after his bereavement, the children of the forest realized that their world was not safe anymore. It started off with an initial attack made by a swarm of Moblins that sprung out of the lost woods. They stormed the village, destroying everything in their path. The Kokiri, frightened, fled into their homes and hid. The Moblins' purpose was to let the Kokiri know of their presence, and that they controlled the area now. The Moblins eventually left after a day or two, and the Kokiri were horrified to find that all of their food had gone._

_In a search ordered by Mido, the Kokiri began scrounging around for leftover supplies, and planting new seeds for more crops. This task lasted about a week or so, and things were finally beginning to turn for the best, until something else happened. Slowly and gradually, the forest became unsafe, even in Kokiri Village. Monsters began to inhabit the place, since they now realized that the Great Deku Tree was unable to protect the area anymore. His power kept the monsters out of the area and kept them at bay in the Lost Woods, but now that he had died, they were free to make their way into the vicinity of the Kokiri's home. Creatures that the Kokiri named Mad Scrubs were the first to appear. They were small, but rather dangerous compared to their size. They were about half the Kokiri's height, but were intimidating nonetheless. They were covered in what mimicked red leaves, making good camouflage in autumn. Their wicked, orange-glowing eyes gave them away when they sprung out of the bushes, but one would have little chance of escaping. They had the ability to suck rocks and nuts into their snouts, and then fire them out at a high velocity. They were fast enough to deliver a bruise or even break a bone if one were unlucky enough._

_Another creature, in which the Kokiri called a Deku Baba, was next to make the scene. These weren't as common as the Mad Scrubs, but were probably more hostile. These creatures weren't able to move like the Mad Scrubs, making them a little more easily avoidable. The Deku Babas were like vicious, meat-eating plants that attacked anything that strayed close. They could burrow themselves in the ground below their leaves that grew from their stems, and then spring out of the ground to take a bite out of their unsuspecting prey with their saliva-dripping teeth. Their stems seemed to have muscles, so they could attack anything around them in any direction. The Kokiri feared them, but eventually began to recognize their leaves, so they could stay clear of them. Sometimes, a Deku Baba would be growing near a crop field, and the Kokiri would have to bravely kill it so the plants wouldn't be risked. Fire seemed to work in exterminating the beasts, so the Kokiri lit sticks on fire by using flint stones and hurling them at the creatures. They had to be careful not to hit the crops though; they didn't want to burn down all of their food while trying to eradicate a Deku Baba._

_Nowadays, the Kokiri naturally stayed inside most of the time. Rarely did they even take a step outside for they risked getting pelted by stones and nuts from the Mad Scrubs roaming the village. They did not know why the Mad Scrubs had such an aggression towards them. Maybe it was because they had nothing better to do and it was their way of fun? Every so often, a Kokiri would have to leave his or her home in order to go get some food from the field or other Kokiri's homes. They had to be really careful in doing so, of course. They always went out in the day, since the leaves of the Deku Baba are really hard to spot in the dark. Sometimes they would come out with tree bark to protect themselves from the projectiles of a Mad Scrub that would happen to be passing by._

_They would always have something blocking the entrance to their homes now. Back in the day, the entrances to their homes were either open, or just had a curtain in front of it to block the sunlight out in case someone wanted to sleep in. It was a shame to see all of the entries to the Kokiri's abodes covered with wood and other materials to keep the monsters from getting in. It really was symbolic of how unsafe the forest had gotten over the past few years._

_The Kokiri hated it. They all wished that the monsters would just go away, but they all knew deep down that it wasn't going to happen. They couldn't risk losing any of their fellow Kokiri, since without the Deku Tree there would be no way of producing any more of their kind._

_Saria, on the other hand, was not afraid of these monsters. Every few days, she would head out to her favourite spot – where she was now – and sit quietly with her ocarina. On her first trip through the Lost Woods, she was horrified to realize that the brigade of Moblins was still roaming through the trees. Thus she realized that she had to be a lot more careful when going through here or else they would surely see her, and who knew what they would do to her if she were to be caught? For the past seven or so years, she had been having no bad luck with this task. The Moblins weren't as alert as they used to be when they first entered the forest, and even so they couldn't see too well in the dark. The Lost Woods were always dim, even in the day due to the many overlapping leaves of the canopy. Even then, Saria still had to be cautious when passing them, because even when their eyesight was limited, they could still hear very well. For some reason, they didn't come close to her favourite spot, which perplexed her. Even if she played her ocarina loudly, not even a bush rustled. Therefore not only was this her favourite spot, but it was also kind of a safe place to do what she pleased, even if all she did was play her ocarina._

_Saria finished the melody, and once again placed the ocarina in her lap. Once more she was stumped on what to play next. She looked at Tamil, sleeping silently to her left. It was really hard to wake her up when she'd been sleeping for a long time. Sometimes, not even someone screaming would wake her up. Usually the best way to do it would be to nudge her or shake her a little bit, and she'd be up and full of energy in an instant. Tamil…she was pretty much the only person Saria could relate to these days. No one really understood her but her guardian fairy, what with Link gone for the past several years and all._

_Suddenly, Saria heard something behind her. The bushes were rustling; something was coming. She jumped and sprung off of the tree stump and looked off into the forest. Indeed, she saw some bushes shaking. Now she'd done it. Why did she have to be so careless when she came here? Just because no monsters came in the past didn't mean that they couldn't come now. It had to be a Mad Scrub, running through the bushes of the thick forest floor in some kind of crazy attempt to ambush her. Saria slowly backed away from the moving leaves as she feared more and more that it was something hostile. It moved really quickly, and was aimed directly toward her. If it didn't have her as a target, it was going to run right into her anyway. She began to move to the right a little bit, only to find out that the thing had shifted its course the second she relocated herself. Now there was no denying it: something was coming for her. She didn't know what it wanted, and now she was beginning to think that it was probably not a Mad Scrub, since they didn't have the determination to run from that far away just to harm a lone Kokiri. It wasn't a Moblin either, since she would've seen it by now with its large physique and height. Was this some kind of new monster? This was the last thing the tribe needed. Life was hard enough as it was with all of the evil roaming about in the forest, but now there was something else about to smash through the already destroyed barrier._

_It now got closer than ever, and Saria's jaw quivered as it closed in. All of her surroundings seemed to fade away as her eyes focused on the advancing creature. All of the sounds of the forest, even her own breathing was drowned out by the footsteps of the thing._

_Unexpectedly the thing burst out of the bushes and into the clear. Saria screamed as she put her arms in front of her face, shielding herself from whatever this thing was. She expected to be either pelted with rocks and nuts, or maybe even eaten alive at this very moment, but all there was just silence. She opened her eyes, and she saw it. Not a fraction of her eyelids covered her eyes, and her jaw dropped from the roof of her mouth. She couldn't believe who was in front of her, brushing some of the dirt off of his clothes. It was…_

"…_Link?" Saria whispered to the figure in front of her._

"_Ah, hello, erm…Saria," he replied. He looked at her with a smile. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"_

_He looked just like when she last saw him. The same gleam was in his handsome, blue eyes, and his familiar grin was still there, greeting her warmly. The child who she hadn't seen for all these years, returned to the forest to see her. Still equipped on his back were the Kokiri Sword and Deku Shield that she helped him get in order to see the Deku Tree all those years before. She did not know why he hadn't seen her for all this time, and come back only now, but there he was…there was no denying that it was really him. He even knew her name…it must be him! It was almost like looking at a ghost from beyond the grave, except now she truly had confirmation that he was alive. She only dreamt about this, but this was real…it had to be!_

"_Is…is it really you, Link?" Saria asked, still not believing it._

"_In the flesh," he said kindly. "Surprised to see me?"_

"_Oh, uh…" Saria stuttered, scratching her head. "Well, yes, I suppose you can put it that way."_

_Link laughed. "I suppose my entrance was a little unexpected. Well, allow me to properly greet you." He approached Saria, took her hand, and politely kissed it. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Saria."_

_Saria giggled. "Link…you're acting strange. Is something the matter?"_

_Link let go, and backed up a few paces. He was still smiling, but now it was more of a nervous smile. In fact, he even looked like he was beginning to sweat. "Oh, ha…am I? Am I acting strange?"_

"_Well…I wouldn't say strange is really the word. It's more like you're…kind of different from when I last remembered." She suddenly laughed. "Oh, who am I kidding? It has been several years, hasn't it? I guess I'm not surprised."_

_Link looked like he was beginning to calm down now. He was now breathing easy. "Ah, yes. Well, it's just that…uh…well maybe I just haven't been aware of how much my personality has changed over the years."_

"_Speaking of which," said Saria. "I guess we have a lot of catching up to do, don't you think?"_

_Link promptly nodded. "Yes, I suppose we do."_

"_Well, first things first," Saria said as she opened up her arms, inviting Link for a friendly hug which they hadn't done for such a long time. Link nervously tugged on his collar and laughed tensely under his breath. He eventually slowly and timidly approached her, and gradually wrapped his arms around her, completing the hug. Saria gave him the brief, tight squeeze that she usually gave him when they hugged, but mysteriously he didn't squeeze back. He merely coughed silently as she squeezed him again, thinking that he didn't feel the first one. Her lips eventually curled and she let go, but not as fast as Link did._

"_Even for someone who's grown over seven or eight years…you really are not acting like yourself, Link."_

"_Oh, sorry," Link quickly apologized, which even then wasn't like him. This was all too strange. Saria was beginning to get suspicious of him. All of these crazy thoughts began to swarm in her mind, but there was only one way to confirm these things._

"_Hey, Link," she said._

"_Yes?"_

"_Do you remember that time when we fell in love? Remember the time when we walked into Mido's house and made out in front of him just to get him mad? Wasn't that classic?"_

_Link laughed. "Ah, yes. The guy never knew what hit him. I'll never forget that day. Yes…it was quite a moment to remember."_

_Saria backed up a few steps from him. Now she was frightened. "Link…" she mumbled._

"_Yes?"_

"_That…never happened."_

_Link's eyes widened as he stared blankly at Saria. He was silent, and drops of sweat were now pouring down his forehead._

"_You…" Saria whispered, shaking her head. "You're not…Link, are you?"_

_His nostrils briefly flared. It looked like Saria had figured this guy out. He wasn't Link…this was an impostor, using some sort of trick to make himself look like her best friend. Who was this guy, and what did he want? It looked as if he had already dropped the whole Link act, and was now staring at her maliciously._

"_Well, I suppose so. I guess I don't fit the profile, do I?" he said, in a completely new voice. It definitely wasn't Link's, and was more of a menacing, rocky and deep tone. "Looks like you're a lot smarter than I made you out to be."_

_Saria took another step back. "…who are you?"_

_The impostor smiled. "Who…me? Why, I'm Link! I'm the kid that wanders the four corners of Hyrule making heroic deeds as I travel!" He began to dance on the spot, drawing his sword and swinging it about. "Rejoice, for I have come to your aid, Saria of the Kokiri tribe!"_

_Saria continued to back away. "Don't try to fool me. I knew Link much better than you do," she said shakily. "Just…just what do want?"_

_The fraud stopped dancing, and looked intently at her. "Well, now that you've mentioned it, there is one thing…" He pointed his sword menacingly at her. "…YOUR LIFE!"_

_Saria covered her mouth, and was about to run. Why would this guy want to kill her? What had she ever done to him?_

_He continued to look at her, baring his teeth, but soon it turned into a grin. He began to chuckle. "Well…heh…not really. Got ya! You should've seen the look on your face. I've never seen a reaction quite like that in a long time."_

_Saria crossed her arms. Was this some kind of a joke? This guy wasn't as much of the intimidating figure as he once imposed on himself. It was more like he was a kid looking for some fun._

"_Seriously, just what is it that you want from me, kid?" said Saria impatiently._

"_Kid?" he said. It didn't look like this pleased him at all. "Who are you calling a kid? I'll have you know that I'm much older than I look."_

"_Who are you?" Saria asked once more._

_He smiled. "My name is Phantom, the guardian of the Forest Barrier. I've come to collect."_

_Phantom? How come his name rung a bell? And what was this guardian of the Forest Barrier business? What was he collecting?_

_Phantom slowly closed his eyes, and hung his head low for a moment or two. He suddenly once again lifted his head and opened his eyes, revealing their true form. They were like normal eyes, except without any pupil whatsoever. There was just a large, pale iris, which didn't move at all. It gave him somewhat of a ghostly appearance._

"_You're coming with me…" he whispered as he smiled, revealing nasty, razor-sharp teeth. He abruptly ran forward in Saria's direction, snarling like a wild animal. Saria screamed as loud as she could as he lunged at her, her cries echoing off of every tree in the Lost Woods…

* * *

_

"There, is that better?"

Link took a slow sip of his coffee, and found it a lot sweeter than before. Actually, he felt that he could drink it now.

"Yes, it is. Thank you," he said politely. "That…sugar really did the trick."

"Just tell me if you need any more," said Malon as she grabbed a seat opposite Link on the kitchen table. "Oh, wait, actually…" She turned around in her seat and grabbed the bowl of sugar from the counter and placed it in the middle of the table. "You can just help yourself if you think it needs any more, okay?"

"Sure thing," Link replied.

Malon giggled. "Oh, this reminds me of the time when we met in Hyrule Castle Town. Do you remember when we went to that diner in the northeast part of the city?"

Link smiled. "Chicken noodle soup?"

"Yeah, that's it. You remember," said Malon. "Do you recall when you didn't know that you should blow on it before you put it in your mouth?"

Link laughed and nodded. "Yes, I remember that. You thought I spat it out because I didn't like it, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," said Malon, grinning. "You know, I wouldn't know what to do if you really didn't like it. That meal was pretty much the only thing that I knew I liked."

Link nodded, but said nothing.

"Anyway, back to what we were talking about…" said Malon as she took a slow sip out of her cup. "So, you still call him Ganondorf?"

"Yes…" Link mumbled, confused. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Malon blinked and shook her head. "Oh, no. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just that you either call him one thing or the other these days."

"…and the other is?" Link inquired.

"Although I'm not sure when it started," Malon began. "But a significant half of people these days tend to refer to him as Ganon, even though they know it isn't his real name."

"Ganon?" said Link. "Is that…is that short for Ganondorf or something?"

Malon smiled. "I guess that's the ironic part about it. Perhaps that's where its origins lie. You see…" Malon shifted in her chair. "Ganon is a legendary creature that appears in many ancient stories. It is portrayed as the most evil and deadly life form ever to walk the earth."

"Is it like…a dragon?" Link asked.

"No, not quite," Malon answered. "It was more like…erm…well I'm not sure what kind of animal I can compare it to. It's more like a creature of its own creation. Come to think of it, I can't really remember what it actually was described as."

"Give it a shot?"

"Sorry, I can't. I wish I could. But anyways, it's beside the point. You can really point out the people who dislike Ganondorf by figuring out who calls him Ganon. Since Ganon is in his name, they all think of him as his reincarnation or something. I'm not saying you should call him that, in any case."

"I think I can manage with calling him by his real name," said Link.

"That's perfectly fine," Malon responded. "Just because you call him Ganondorf doesn't mean that you're on his side or anything."

"Well, that's good, I suppose," Link mumbled as he took another sip of his coffee. "Still though…who's side are you on, Malon?"  
Malon shook her head. "I'm not sure. Quite frankly, I haven't really seen what is so bad about him, and on the other hand, I have no idea what he is doing behind the former city gates. It's just too complex of a thing for me to really understand. After all, I'm just a farm girl."

"Well, I'll give you that," said Link considerately. "I guess I've been more into this stuff than you have. Maybe we should just drop it and leave it as it is?"

"Good idea," Malon agreed. "I never really enjoy talking politics anyway."

The two were silent for a while. They just quietly sipped their coffee, not really saying anything. Someone might've said a brief sentence every once in a while, but the only response that tended to come up was either a nod of a laugh. It was kind of weird. Link hadn't seen Malon for all these years, and he had already run out of things to say. Well, maybe it wasn't the fact that he had nothing to say, but that Malon had nothing to say. She had had seven years of events to talk about, and Link felt like it was only a day or two since he'd been here. Maybe all the talk about Ganondorf and such poisoned the conversation. Malon's head was kind of low…maybe she didn't like talking about that stuff so much that whenever it was brought up she didn't feel like chatting anymore?

"So," said Malon, trying to keep the talk going. "How is Navi?"

"I'm fine," Navi replied from the other end of the room. She was floating around, looking at the odds and ends on the high shelves of the kitchen and the counters. There were many cabinets with glass doors so one could easily see what was inside. She seemed intrigued by the plates, glasses, bowls, pots and pans that were neatly stacked and organized within the old-fashioned storage. Not a speck of dust was to be seen.

"It looks like you've done a good job of keeping this place tidy and clean," she complimented as she pressed her tiny face against one of the glass doors of a cabinet, like a child looking into a toy store from the window.

Malon tittered and blushed. "Oh, thank you. Well, it pretty much becomes a hobby if it's really the only thing to do once all of the stable work is done."

"How is it the only thing to do?" asked Link, putting his mug down. "I thought you had a really fun life here."

"I did, yes," Malon agreed. "But as you can see, ever since things changed here at the ranch, things haven't been the same." Malon looked at Link and smiled. "But thanks to you, things might go back to the way they used to. When Mr. Ingo owned the ranch, he'd naturally get me to do all the work."

"Like what?" said Link as he brought his cup up to his mouth again.

"Well," Malon began as she began to count her fingers. "There was feeding the animals, cleaning the barn, cleaning up after the animals, refilling the water, scrubbing down the horses, shovelling hay – which got really tiring –, milking the cows, storing the milk, and loading it up onto the landau to be transported."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Transported? To where?"

Malon shrugged. "Kakariko Village. Where else? It's the only place to make business these days, what with Hyrule Castle Town in ruins and all. Ingo drove the coach there, so I rarely got to see the town. It's a nice place though."

"Kakariko Village…" Link muttered. "That place has been mentioned to me so many times. What is it?"

"You've seriously never heard of it?" asked Malon, shocked. "Where have you been the past several years?"

Link bit his lip as his heart wrenched and twisted between his ribs. There was no way he was going to tell her that just yet. It would be too weird.

"Well, anyway," Malon went on, letting Link relax. "It's an old town, and it was the first founded civilization by the Hylians. Hyrule Castle was built hundreds of years later, but Kakariko remained inhabited even at the city's peak in population. Maybe people just liked the simple life."

Link nodded. Malon continued.

"I suppose you can guess that's where most of the people who survived the attack started anew there, but it's not that big of a town, so there were only so many who could be saved. It's a real pity. There are many families living under one roof over there. That's where my father is, by the way."

"And that's where Mr. Ingo is going," Link added with a smug grin. "How long would you think it would take for him to get there, do you think?"

Malon blinked a few times as her eyes wandered around the room. "That would depend. Did he take the coach?"

Link shook his head. "He headed out on foot. He ran pretty fast."

Malon giggled. "I'd say he'd get there in a matter of six hours or so, but that's if he ran the whole way, and believe me: Mr. Ingo can't run for very long. Realistically speaking, he'd get there by the morning, and I should see my father for the first time in a long time."

"Ah," said Link nodding. "I'm sure you'd be very happy to see him. How long has it been?"

"Seven years to the day," Malon replied dolefully. "Do you…remember those dreams that we used to have?"

"The nightmares?" said Link, recalling the fact that his came to life before his very eyes that fateful day. He remembered attacking Ganondorf, and how his attempt to bring him down ended in miserable failure in the blink of an eye. He underestimated him dearly, and only now really understood the true nature of his power.

"Did yours come true?" Malon asked, now looking very serious.

"Yes," said Link uncomfortably. "And you?"

Malon nodded. "It was exactly as I saw it every night. Every bit of it. It was raining, and the events that took place were exactly as my dream predicted. It was really scary."

"When did it happen?" Link inquired.

"I think it was a week or two after the attack."

"And what about that day?" he asked. "What happened then? Anything eventful on your side?"

Malon froze, her eyes suddenly owlish not with wisdom but with nervousness. A person innocent of hiding things wouldn't have such a reaction. She averted her face from him and hung it low, trying to make her flaming red hair drape in front of it. It was of no use, however, for Link could see it between the many gaps between each strand, beginning to flush, perhaps with anxiety or even fear. Her hands clenched either side of her seat tightly, as if hoping Link wouldn't say anything. He couldn't help but feel concerned, since Malon was making it quite obvious that there was something she was keeping from him.

"Malon?" Link said slowly. "Are you okay?"

She blurted out something, but Link couldn't hear what she said exactly. It was like she stopped herself from saying something she didn't want to let out by transforming it into inaudible gibberish in the middle of the statement. She brought one of her hands the side of her face, and let it rest there. She was clearly stressed.

"Malon, do you have something to tell me?"

She suddenly looked at him, wide-eyed, as if she thought he was reading her mind. Perhaps she didn't fully realize how visibly suspicious she was looking. She mumbled to herself again and turned away. Link knew she couldn't hide it forever, whatever it was. He was going to make her spill the beans no matter how hard she tried to keep it in.

"Malon –"

"Can I show you something?" Malon came out with suddenly.

"Show me something?"

"Yes," she said quickly, looking like she feared she had a limited time to do it.

"What is it?" asked Link, leaning forward in his chair.

"I can't tell you here," Malon said as she began looking around the room, searching for anyone eavesdropping. "You'll just have to see it with your own eyes. Come on!"

Malon got up out of her chair and began heading toward the front door. Her steps were hurried, and maybe even somewhat fearful. Link slowly got to his feet, pushing back his chair as he did so. He quickly picked up his cup and downed the last bit of coffee, and put it back on the table once it was completely empty. He turned towards Malon and began to follow. But couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he thought of what Malon was going to show him.

"Navi can come too," she said as she turned to face Link's guardian fairy. Navi took off from the kitchen counter and fluttered in their direction. Link was about to shoot a puzzled look at Malon, but she had already turned around and was heading toward the entrance again. He shrugged and continued to pursue. He supposed that whatever Malon wanted to show him was outside somewhere, since she was heading right toward the front door.

Suddenly, Link was proved wrong as Malon abruptly got down to one knee just before the door. Her hand approached the welcome rug, and grabbed one of the corners of the old, dirty fabric. She lifted it out of the way, making a small cloud of dust launch into the air. She fanned it away with one hand, and continued to fumble around with the wooden panels once hidden underneath the rug. She shook each one delicately, searching for something. As Link eyed her hands, he began to understand more and more what she was doing. Maybe there was something hidden under one of these panels? What this what Malon wanted to show him?

He recalled a story that Saria's guardian fairy told him one time when Saria requested some privacy for a few hours for reasons she refused to reveal. Tamil was pretty good at telling stories – almost as good as Saria. However, it was only natural since she was the best storyteller Link knew and Tamil was with her a lot more often than he was. As the story goes, a young man and a woman were deeply in love. The man adored his lover so much, that one day he decided to marry her. He purchased a ring to present to her the next time he had the chance to see her, and brought it into his house for safekeeping. However, the man grew apprehensive, contemplating whether or not his lover would say yes or no. He invited her over for dinner, but grew too nervous to collect himself. In a panic, he hid the ring under one of the loose floorboards to hide it. When she came over, they had dinner together, had a nice conversation, and connected a little more. The man became rather smug as his lover seemed more and more oblivious to the engagement ring hidden just inches below her feet. Once the dinner was ended, and the man was beginning to show her to the door, she unintentionally stepped on the loose floorboard, causing it to lift up and expose what was underneath. Quick to apologize, the woman kneeled down to fix it, but as she moved the loose panel her eyes couldn't help but scan over the loose ring. Upon his lover's realization, the man knelt down as well and proposed to her. She, thinking that it was all set up to surprise her, willingly accepted the proposal. They got married, and lived happily ever after.

The story on its own wasn't really that impressive to Link, at least when he first heard it. But when he looked further into its meaning, it wasn't just a story, but more like a fable. The moral of the story was that if you hide from something, it will do you no good since it will always find its way back to you. The best way to deal with your problems is to take them head-on, eliminating them all together. Ironically, Link hadn't lost a step with this lesson on his quest.

Indeed, Malon eventually found a loose and shaky wood panel. With little effort, she lifted one end away from the floor, and continued to do so until it was fully flipped over. It fell down with a small clunk, exposing its dirty, dusty side that no one could clean. Link expected to look into the small, narrow hole that was once covered, and see something interesting. What he actually saw was somewhat disappointing. All there was a dirty, mouldy piece of rope, each end attached to the plywood underneath the hardwood. It made a loop large enough for one to put their hand through without touching the rope at all. Malon slowly reached down and grabbed it, and began to pull. This wasn't what Malon wanted to show him…this was come kind of handle that opened up something even greater. With a few small tugs, Malon began lifting a section of the floor up. It groaned as inch by inch the loose square of flooring was rubbed against the solid part. Eventually, it burst free, causing Malon to stumble forward a bit. She stabilized herself and eased the square of flooring over, which appeared to be on hinges. She had to step around the hole she uncovered in order to set the section down quietly, and without damaging any hardwood.

Link looked down the unveiled hole, and saw much more than he expected. There was a flight of old, wooden stairs, barely lit by what seemed to be candlelight coming from the bottom floor, for it was orange, dim, and flickered. Link could only wonder what was waiting beyond.

"I never knew you had a basement," said Link.

"Nobody really does," Malon replied. "It's mostly my secret. Here, follow me."

She began creeping down the stairs, and Link wasted no time in following close behind. He was really anxious to see what it was that Malon wanted to show him. He got the side of the opening where the top of the stair were, when half of Malon's body was below the floor.

"Watch your head," Malon advised as she ducked her head under the floorboards. "The ceiling isn't that high on the stairs."

Link looked at his feet as he carefully began to make his way down. The stairs moaned under Link's weight, but not so much to give him the impression that they were going to collapse. They looked old, anyway. Navi seated herself on the back of Link's ear, and peered over it to get a good look at where they were going. By the time Malon got to the bottom, Link was crouching slightly, being careful not to hit his head on the low ceiling. It slowly rose up as he went down lower and lower, so he could gradually straighten out his posture. The stairs got less noisy as he went down, perhaps since they were lower to the ground. He eventually reached the bottom, and could stand perfectly straight.

He took a good look around the room, observing everything it had to offer. The walls were made of grey stone, which gave it somewhat of a cold atmosphere, but it was warm and somewhat cosy in here. Link suppose this was because of the roaring fire in a fireplace opposite him. There was a bulky, wooden table, with three chairs placed unevenly around it. There was an old, dusty bookshelf next to the fireplace, packed to the limit with literature and antiques. There was a bed on the right wall, only big enough for one person. There were a few battered-up sandbags in one corner, each suffering a decent amount of fist blows.

However, near the fireplace, something caught his eye. There was a distinctive silhouette blocking half the view of the fireplace. It was a person, a hooded figure hunched over a desk by the fireplace, the flames barely outlining his figure in their dance. He was scribbling on some notes, possibly a book or some maps. He was pretty quiet, and most likely hadn't noticed them coming.

Malon rapped her knuckles on the wall, trying to get the man's attention.

"Knock-knock," she said as she did so. "There's somebody here who wants to see you."

The figure lifted up his head from the desk, and stared at the wall for a moment or two. He then spun around in his chair, revealing the cool, grey eyes that Link was so familiar with.

It was Amentaris, but Link couldn't understand it. He was dead; there was no way he could've survived the onslaught at Hyrule Castle. But there he was, right in front of him, almost winking him in the face. This couldn't be true; it made no sense. Was he seeing things? Was this some strange look-alike? Was it a spirit from beyond, haunting the bottom floor of Malon's house? This wasn't real…it was surreal. Every feature of his face was exactly as Link remembered from when he last saw him at Hyrule Castle the night before he vanquished Barinade. His calm grey eyes, the scar on his right cheek, his neatly shaven goatee, the thin strands of his long dark hair on either side of his visage. The only thing different about him was that facial structure seemed slightly more aged, and Link could spot some grey hairs amidst the rest of the deep black strands. If Amentaris were to have survived the attack, he would've been middle-aged by now. Looking at him, it seemed that way. So, this had eliminated the possibility that he was seeing things, because if he was, Amentaris would've looked like when he last saw him. There was also no way it was his spirit or ghost, since again he would appear as he was at the time of his death. The only two answers remaining were that he was either a look-alike, or it was really him.

Amentaris blinked and tilted his head.

"Well, well, well…if I do recall…" he mumbled to himself. "Link, isn't it?"

Link flinched; he knew his name. It wasn't a doppelganger of any sort…it was Amentaris and there was no questioning it. How on earth did he escape without knowing of the impending attack? The enemy couldn't have shown any mercy to the leader of their only opposition…could they? Here he was, talking to him; you can't get any more alive than that. Link was so sucked into the confusion of him being alive that he forgot to answer Amentaris' question.

"Oh, erm, yes…" he muttered.

Amentaris rested his chin on the side of his fist and grinned. "Ah, long time no see." He outstretched his hand out to the side, letting it hover around four or five feet above the ground. "I remember you when you were about this tall."

Link smiled. Seeing how low Amentaris had his hand really illustrated how much he'd grown in seven years.

"Ah, time has treated you well, young man," Amentaris complimented. "You've grown up well, into a tough guy if I may."

"Thank you," said Link. "You don't look so bad yourself, General."

Amentaris winced, like Link just insulted him. Was it something he said?

"Please…don't…don't call me…that," he muttered. "I don't deserve such a title anymore. Those days are long gone for me."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't know you were self-conscious about that," Link quickly apologized. "What would you prefer to be called?"

"Just call me regular old Pious Amentaris. I no longer serve in the military, so I'm pretty much just your average citizen with an eventful past."

"He came here the day of the attack," said Malon to Link's right. "He was knocked up pretty bad. Bruises, scrapes and cuts everywhere. I don't know why he came here of all places, but I couldn't help but feel sorry for him." She looked back at Amentaris. "I've been taking care of him here ever since."

"Did anyone else know?" asked Link.

"No, nobody knew. I came down every day when no one was around, and gave him food, water, and other things."

"What kind of food?"

"Leftovers, galore," said Amentaris, crossing his legs. "Malon courteously ate less than she used to save as much food as possible for me."

"It paid off for me as well," said Malon, issuing a hand at her waist. "I don't look too bad, not to brag?"

Link laughed and nodded.

"Eventually Ingo had me to cook the meals, so I naturally cooked more than I would for two people so Pious would have a full stomach at the end of the day," Malon said, looking up the stairs.

"Speaking of food, are you guys hungry?"

Upon Malon's mention of food, Link's stomach began to growl. "Come to think of it, I haven't eaten all day. I suppose I could do with some dinner, thank you."

Malon smiled sweetly. "Okay, I'll fix you something. Why don't you have a seat and talk to Pious for the time being? I'm sure you have a lot to catch up on."

"I suppose so," said Link, looking at Amentaris on the other side of the room.

"Okay then, I'll be back in a jiffy!" said Malon cheerfully as she hurried up the stairs. Link couldn't wait to see what she could cook up for him. There was always something new to eat in the world outside of his home, and he liked everything.

As he saw Malon's skirt disappear behind the ceiling, he turned toward Amentaris, still sitting in his chair. He was smiling, looking intently at Link. He stared at the former general curiously, wondering what he was thinking about. Amentaris, maybe made slightly uncomfortable by Link' gazing. Leaned forward and pulled out a chair from the old, wooden table in the middle of the room. He patted the seat of the chair twice firmly.

"Have a seat," he invited.

Link hesitated for a moment, but then shrugged and approached the chair that Amentaris offered to him. He slowly took a seat, the chair creaking as he sat.

The two talked for what seemed like hours, for they had so much to tell each other. The first thing Link asked was how Amentaris got out of that mess alive. Amentaris thought it was some kind of act of mercy made by Kanakana, but Link thought that wasn't of his nature. Perhaps Kanakana thought that exile was a fate worse than death. Amentaris told Link of the battle at Hyrule Castle. He had every little detail burned into his mind, and could explain it so meticulously and in such detail that Link could picture himself being there. Link doubted highly that that day would ever leave Amentaris' mind. There wasn't much for Amentaris to tell after that, since Link already had a good idea of the events that followed. Link, on the other hand, had much more to tell than Amentaris, who was eager to listen. He had to tell him everything from the beginning for him to get the idea. He told him how his adventure started, back in the forest with the Deku Tree's curse, through to the collecting of the three Sacred Stones, and everything in between. He had to explain why he needed them, and how the whole plan worked. He told him about how it all went wrong the day of the attack, and what his mission was now. He told him about Sheik, the only other remaining Sheikah aside from Impa, if she were alive. He told him about what he was going to do tomorrow, and how nervous he was getting about it. Amentaris said he would help him if he only really knew the forest well, since he could possibly tell him where to go and how to get through things. When Link asked if he knew other areas well, Amentaris nodded. Link said that he would be overjoyed if he could receive some strategic planning on the infiltration of the other temples. Amentaris agreed to help him there, but had to get some maps going. He said he'd work on it while he was gone.

After a while, Malon came downstairs with three bowls of none other than chicken noodle soup to commemorate when they first met in Hyrule Castle Town. Link was delighted at the idea, while Amentaris was slightly puzzled. The three ate their meals and chatted for what seemed like eternity. Link had not had the chance to really relax and have a nice conversation for a long time, so it brought his spirits up. The hours seemed to fly by as they continued the tête-à-tête.

Eventually it got late, and Link was beginning to feel rather sleepy once he heard Navi snoring on his ear.

"I think I better hit the sack. I have a long day tomorrow," he said as he slowly got up out of his chair.

"Oh, all right," said Malon as she rose. She yawned. "I guess I'm going to go to bed as well. Here, Link, I'll show you your bed; you can sleep in Mr. Ingo's room."

"It's nice to know you're okay, Link," called Amentaris as the two began to head out of the room. "I'm looking forward to seeing you again."

"It was nice to see you too, Gen-…I mean, Pious…"

Malon began to escort Link back up the steps to the first floor of the house. Link was ready to just plop his head on that pillow, for he knew deep down that he was going to need all of the rest he could get tonight.

* * *

_Sheik remained on the same hill, watching the last dying embers of the sun slowly sink into the earth, only to leave a blood-red haze on the horizon, making everything in front of it a pitch-black shadow. He watched Lon-Lon Ranch get slowly engulfed by the darkness that was the approaching night, and only hoped that Link was getting his well-needed rest. Tomorrow was indeed going to be rough on both of them. Sheik knew how well the Forest Barrier was protected, and it wasn't going to be a walk in the park to get near its guardian. It wasn't only the hideous creatures that guarded the place that made it unsettling, but the very nature of the forest itself. One could easily find themselves consumed by the many trees that surrounded them. He only hoped that Link still knew his way around the forest, or else things might get tricky in a place as confusing as that, when there are enemy soldiers surrounding you at the same time._

_It was something to be concerned about, but not something to think about. All Sheik needed to do is remain calm and get some rest of his own. He needed to help the Hero of Time as much as possible, for he was going to need all of the assistance he could get. He pondered whether or not the Forest Barrier Guardian had already organized himself to counter their preparations._

_It didn't matter; with the Master Sword and the gods on their side, nothing could stand in their way from shattering the barrier that muffled the awakening call to the new Sage of Forest._

_Every night before Sheik drifted into the infinite void of sleep and dreams, he would always finish the day by playing his harp. He removed it from the bandages that wrapped around his back and slowly slide the instrument out. It wasn't a full-sized harp, of course. It was one of those miniature ones that you could hold in one hand and play with the other. He decided to play one of the many folk songs he knew. This particular one was based on the fall of Hyrule Castle._

_Sheik delicately plucked the strings of the instrument, making the beautiful melody sing throughout the hills of Hyrule Field. As he continued to play, he slowly opened his mouth and sung the lyrics quietly to himself._

"_No sign of life did flicker_

_In floods of tears they cried_

'_All hope's lost it can't be undone_

_They're wasted and gone'_

_Like sorrowful seagulls they sang_

_We're lost in the deep shades_

_The evil cloud brought_

_A wailing when beauty was gone_

_Come take a look at the sky_

_Monstrous it covered the shore_

_Fearful into the unknown_

_Quietly it crept in a new horror_

_Insanity reigned_

_And spilled the first blood_

_When the old king was slain_

_Nightfall_

_Quietly it crept in and changed us all_

_Nightfall_

_Quietly it crept in and changed us all_

_Nightfall_

_Immortal land lies down in agony."_

_The song ended in a long, slow glissando in a minor key. It was a sad song, but important for what remained of the Hylians' culture. With a long, dragging sigh, Sheik returned his harp where it belonged._

_His eyes began to grow heavy, and his muscles began to go limp as they relaxed. His body released the fluids that cause the symptoms of sleepiness, and Sheik was in no mood to fight it. His back curled as he slowly laid down on the soft grass, letting the back of his head sink into its natural pillow. It was a clear night; the many stars shone brightly above him. Sheik thought of them as departed souls, the ones who had been good people, not eternally cursed to dwell bodiless in the House of the Dead but blessed to be able to look down at the earth from the heavens, watching the footsteps of their descendants glow proudly._

_The beating of wings, hundreds of them. There was no mistaking it. Sheik sat up immediately and looked towards the north. A dark cloud, blacker than the night sky was heading this way, fast. The frequent squawks and caws made him immediately recognize them as the Guay, the spies of Ganondorf. Were they tracking him? How did they know of his presence?_

_Wait, they weren't tracking him; they were tracking Link. They were heading straight towards Lon-Lon Ranch, and if Sheik didn't act fast now, there would be no telling what would come of it. He frantically got to his feet and sped over to where the hill was much steeper. His footsteps were light, silent, but it wouldn't help him at all if the Guay were to spot him now. They tended to rely on sight and smell rather than hearing to locate their targets. Sheik, like a ghost, quietly but hastily dove behind the steep hill, and immediately pressed his back against it. The long grass brushed against him, and some of the long blades obstructed his view._

_Silence swiftly followed. Sheik held his breath as he lay there in what little cover he had. He couldn't even hear the flapping of their wings anymore. The soft winds that once surrounded him were now long gone, and even the grasses surrounding him lost their sound, even though they were constantly rubbing against each other. He waited…_

…_waited…_

_Like an explosion of sound, the Guay screeched over his head. Their wings made a long, groaning rumble and their calls made a high-pitched scream that made his ears hurt. He shut his eyes, and the wind generated from their speed blew his hair all over the place. It was like being overtaken by a sudden black tidal wave in an ocean of darkness. The roar of the swarm flying over his head was so intense, he was afraid of opening his eyes. He could feel the grass shaking violently as they shot by, whipping his body constantly. He thought it was never going to end…there were just so many of them._

_But yet, as quickly as it began…it ended. Silence once again surrounded him. He wearily opened his eyes, not to see the stars like he expected to, but to see immeasurable darkness in every direction he looked. He was standing now, in the dark void that only dreams could bring. Well, this was a dream after all; he had fallen asleep._

_He began to walk forward, to where: he didn't know. He just had a sudden urge to travel ahead…maybe he could find something. As he moved, things seemed to get darker and darker, and his body seemed to glow brighter in contrast with his bizarre surroundings._

_Eventually, as he looked on, he began to see something. It was a figure in the darkness, slightly taller than he was. He was facing away from him, not budging or even seemingly noticing Sheik's approach. He reached for his knife just for protection, but was shocked to find that when he reached for its scabbard there was nothing inside. He looked at his body as he padded himself down, trying to see if he had misplaced it. When he looked up, he was somewhere completely different._

_He was on a large, raised platform. Velvet ropes bordered the stage, as if he were an exhibit in a museum. Many large pictures were aligned on the circular wall surrounding him, all having the same, dark image of a path going through a dead forest. In the middle of the raised area, a large engraving of the Triforce was clearly visible. When he looked up, he spotted the same figure he saw earlier. It was Link: The Hero of Time. He stared at Sheik with a warm smile, but then his facial expression abruptly changed from that of warmth and friendliness, to that of fear and anguish. His body slowly shrunk, and he didn't even seem to be noticing it. His clothes slowly faded and were replaced with the ones he wore as a child._

_There he was, a young Link, sitting down and sobbing like he had dropped his ice cream cone. It was a side of him that many didn't see. Seeing Link as a child reminded Sheik of the innocence that every person once had, not matter how evil they turned out to be. Feeling sorry for little Link, Sheik cautiously approached him. Link gasped once he realized that he was there, and ceased to move, barely even shivering. Sheik outstretched a hand towards him, reaching for his forehead to try and comfort him. Inch by inch, Sheik's fingers drew closer, and Link was completely silent as he looked at them in fear._

"_It's okay," Sheik reassured him. "I'm not going to hurt you."_

_Sheik went all in, and delicately touched Link on the forehead. Link suddenly reared his head back and screamed at the top of his lungs. Fire and red energy shot out of his eyes and mouth as he continued to shriek. Sheik stumbled back and looked in horror of what was happening to him. Link was slowly surrounded by scarlet red mist, and his screams slowly transformed into wicked laughter. Link was turning into...a monster? Before he could get a good look to see what he was transforming into, Sheik fell through the floor._

_He plummeted down into the surrounding blackness that he once saw before, and did not stop. He was in the same area he started out as, except this time there was nothing holding him up. He fell down, and didn't think he was going to hit any bottom at all. His eyes rolled back in their sockets and his eyelids covered them up. His limp body continued to plunge into the obscurity, not sure whether he was falling up, down or sideways._

_The darkness swallowed him whole._

_

* * *

_

**-Author's Notes-**

Well, there you go. Another chapter done. This one was rather difficult to make due to all the dialogue (hense the long waiting time for those who have been patient with me). For those who are really into the action/fight scenes in my story, sorry that this one isn't jam packed with it. Don't worry, the next one will be

Some of you may realize that the lyrics to the song that Sheik sings near the end are an excerpt from the song "Nightfall" by Blind Guardian. After listening to this song a few times over, I felt that it kind of worked with the story, even though the lyrics were based on the book _The Silmarillion_ by J.R.R. Tolkien (thought that book is not his best work). Anyway, props to them for the lyrics and inspiration. I changed only a few words to make it fit.

Before I leave you once again, here's something cool about Sheik's dream sequence at the end of the chapter. This dream, in fact, was one that I actually experienced myself. No, I did not play the role of Sheik; just me, of course. The events that take place in the sequence are exactly as I experienced them (or at least to the best of my memory). Of course, after the part when Sheik falls through the floor my dream went on to other irrelivant things, so I cut it there. I decided to put it in at the last minute, because it ironically foreshadows many upcoming events (and by the way, if you think you've figured out where the "raised platform" is in the dream, that's where I was, yes).

- Crimson Water

P.S - For the readers who have been reading since the early times, if you haven't yet noticed I have revised the chapter and have added and entire new prologue that is now _vital _to the storyline. Please read it!


	23. Impostor!

23

_Impostor!_

As Malon shut the door behind her, Link quickly said "Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams," said Malon as the door closed completely. Link wasted no time in kicking off his boots; his feet were falling asleep before he was. It was nice to let his feet touch to soft carpet of the room other than the hard, leathery bottoms of his footwear. It wasn't enough though; in order for them to get the relaxation they deserved, they were going to have to get up off the ground. He turned around and grinned modestly as he laid eyes on Ingo's already-made bed. The pearly white, soft duvet beckoned to him, begging him to slip underneath them. It was like a lighthouse on a dark shore. By just looking at the thing made Link realize how truly sleepy he really was. He exhaled softly to himself as he removed his green hat from his head. He aggressively rubbed his fingers through his hair to mess it up, just to that it wasn't sticking to his head like a helmet.

His fingers went for the buckle of the strap that went across his chest, which held his equipment firmly on his back. He took the pin out of the hole in the leather, and let the belt easily slide out of the loop. The Master Sword and his Hylian shield were slowly lowered as the diameter of the strap increased. Eventually, it was fully undone, and Link had to swiftly catch the strap just before his equipment came crashing down to the floor; that would've made quite the racket. He swung his weapons off his back, and caught them in his arms. He separated the two, and let each one hang in either hand. He strolled over to the corner of the room, and delicately placed them up against the wall, the shield in front of the sword, as if they were some kind of relic.

Normally, if his clothes were dirty, he naturally wouldn't wear them to bed. However, as he was about to lift them off, he noticed that he didn't see any dirt on them at all. That was rather odd…he had worked up quite the sweat today. He lifted up one arm and sniffed his armpit. No odour whatsoever. It seemed his clothes were perfectly clean despite all that he had been through today.

Link supposed he was going remove his top layer of clothing anyway; he would cook under it. However, he was going to have to unload all of the things in the many pouches so none would smash if he forgot about them when he put it back on the next morning. He began to dig through his pockets, taking out every loose item he came across. The first thing he found were his two ocarinas, the Ocarina of Time which was entrusted to him by Zelda, and the Fairy Ocarina, which Saria gave to him as a memento of their unwavering friendship. These two instruments were precious to him; they represented two people who were closest to him, and whom he feared he'd never see again. He had to put these somewhere safe; they were the most important things that he possessed.

His eyes found a nightstand beside his bed, with a large drawer on the front side. He grabbed the wooden knob and pulled, thankfully revealing that it was empty. He carefully placed the two ocarinas inside, and slowly slid the drawer shut.

The next item he found in his pockets was his old, trusty slingshot from when he was young. It was so small…it almost fit in the palm of his hand. The wood that it was made up had darkened significantly, and had already shown obvious signs of decomposition. Just looking at it made him think of all of his dangerous encounters as a child.

After placing the slingshot on the ground, the next thing he found was the boomerang that he swiped off of that Zora kid back at Zora's Domain. It, unlike the slingshot, still looked as good as new. However, as Link expected, it was way too small for him to wield properly. It was a shame, since he didn't really have a lot of time to use it a lot, besides killing the electrified creatures of Jabu-Jabu's belly. Like his slingshot, it reminded him of his childhood, and how he'd taken it for granted. He placed the boomerang on the ground, right next to the other weapon of his youth.

Next was his bag of bombs, made out of a Dodongo's stomach. It was still filled pretty much to the brim with the miniature explosives, and still looked well intact. These things may still be helpful for him. Their force and power may be useful for taking down obstacles and shattering the life out of his enemies. If King Dodongo couldn't handle a blast from these, then Link couldn't think of who could. At least he had one thing from his childhood that he could still use. He also placed this on the ground. He then took his leather gauntlets off and placed them delicately on top of the nightstand.

With all of the things that he needed to get off him gone, Link undid his waist belt. Once the buckle was undone, he slid it out of the many loops on his tunic that held it in place. When it was released, Link folded it up and placed it on top of the nightstand beside his hat. He grabbed the bottom of his tunic and lifted it over his head, continuing to pull until the entire thing was off, but inside out. Link quickly flipped it the other way and folded it neatly on the floor; he had to treat his only outfit with respect. With his emerald green tunic off of him, Link could see what was underneath. The skin-tight fabric that Link could see on his arms and legs was also covering everything else, including his chest. He noticed that it was made of two parts: a shirt and leggings. Feeling curious, Link slipped of the upper part, and took a good look at his torso.

With nothing to obstruct or distort his vision of his new body, he was even more impressed with how much he filled out. His shoulders were well-rounded, and his chest had evenly divided into two well-formed pectoral muscles. He could even see that his abdominal muscles were starting to shape into a six-pack, but they weren't as formed as his shoulders and chest. With nothing covering his arms now, Link could see a modest bulging vein travelling down his left bicep, showing that his left arm was slightly stronger than the right. It was to be expected, since that was the arm that Link used to swing his sword; he was left-handed. He flexed a few times to amuse himself, and might've even said "nice" as he did so.

With all that said and done, Link was ready to finally get some shuteye. His body already began to feel relaxed as he once again set eyes on the bed before him. He picked up his hat off the ground, and placed it on top of the nightstand, just in front of the lone candle that lit the room. He scrunched it up a little bit, trying to make it more comfortable for Navi.

"Okay, Navi," he said, poking the sprite resting on his ear. "Time to go to bed."

Navi wearily made her way off his ear and fluttered slowly down to where she liked to sleep: on Link's hat. Perhaps she was just used to it, seeing it is where she spent a lot of her time. She hovered above it for a few moments, probably looking for a good spot to land, and settled snugly in one of the folds.

Link reached for the top of the covers of the bed and threw them down halfway, revealing the alluring soft mattress underneath. A huge smile swept across Link's face as he slowly approached it, as if it were some kind of holy artefact. Before hopping in, he gently ran his hand along the soft linens to get a good idea of what he was heading for. Upon barely even making physical contact with it, Link knew he was in for the sleep of his life. He wasted no more time.

Link sat onto the bed slowly, letting it sag slightly as he let all of his weight fall onto it. He swung his legs onto the soft mattress, and slipped them underneath the sheets. It was like being submerged in the cool waters of an untouched pond. He grabbed the corner of the covers that he had flipped over and pulled them over his raised knees. He slid down until he was fully on his back, and his head was resting on the cloud-like pillow. As he was swiftly consumed by the bed, he felt as if he had a disease that was being cured. Since the room was already fairly dark, he could already feel himself falling asleep. It wouldn't be long until he was slumbering completely, so he had to do it quick.

"Goodnight, Navi. Get some rest," he said to his guardian fairy.

"Goodnight," Navi replied cordially. "Pleasant dreams."

As Link closed his eyes and felt his body sink into the ground, and eventually feel weightless, he really did hope he would have a pleasant dream. It had been a while since he had one.

* * *

_Tamil slowly opened one eye; something wasn't right. She wasn't usually awoken by such unapparent disturbances, but this stood out profusely. It wasn't like she was unsurprised, either. It was probably nothing; just her waking up for no apparent reason, but something deep inside her continually said that it was something far graver than what she initially thought. She felt rested anyway, so it wouldn't hurt for her to at least sit up._

_She squinted as she slowly lifted her back off of the top of the tree stump. A huge rush of blood went out of her head as she propped it up upright, which was when she realized she had a bit of a headache. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on the tips of her tiny fingers, letting the blood return to its normal flow. Blinking sometimes helped; she didn't know why. She shook her head a few times, and took a deep breath, and felt the pain in her head slowly subside._

_Now that her headache was nearly gone, she turned to her left, where Saria was. To Tamil's surprise, all she saw was the other side of the tree stump, and the lush density of the forest behind it; Saria was nowhere in sight. Tamil rose to her feet and began to pace towards the other side of the stump. Maybe Saria was just behind it, lying down or something. She looked over, and in confusion realized that there was just the familiar jade grass that swayed silently in the forest breeze. Now she raised an eyebrow. This wasn't funny, and Saria didn't really have a tendency to play practical jokes, or even abandon her own guardian fairy without telling her where she was going. This was completely out of the ordinary._

_Feeling slightly vulnerable, Tamil didn't think it would be too wise to remain on the ground; she would be a prime target for any beasts that passed by. She hopped off the stump and started up her wings. She lifted herself off the ground and into the air, looking around somewhat frantically, seeing if she could spot Saria with the better view, but to no avail. She drifted forward as she continued to ascend, scanning over the ground she passed over. She remained in the clearing though, since it would be useless to try and look for her into the darkness of the Lost Woods._

"_Saria?" she called out, with some faint hope that she would hear an answering call. The only one she heard was her own voice, echoing off the trunks of the many trees that outlined the clearing. Her heart sunk, and she wasn't sure if it was going to find its way back again. This was too strange, like something she'd read out of a story or something. Saria…it was if she had turned invisible and was testing her to see what she would do if she had suddenly vanished. Saria wouldn't do something like that though, she knew that Tamil was a good friend of hers and would pretty much collapse if she were alone, especially in these dark times._

_It seemed like she was already beginning to fall apart. What could've possibly happened to her? Saria didn't run off; she knew her too well to come to that conclusion. _

_The monsters…they got her. How could she have been so stupid? She knew that they couldn't keep sneaking into the Lost Woods over and over for several years without eventually getting caught. No wonder Saria disappeared on her; Tamil wasn't woken by sudden, loud noises. The monsters must've arrived when she was sleeping, and Saria had no way of defending herself against them. Now she was gone, at the mercy of the savage beasts that now roamed the woods. It was all her fault…she should've never dozed off, and maybe she could've lit Saria's way through the Lost Woods in order to escape. She felt sick. Who knew what those things would do to her?_

"_Saria!" Tamil screamed out into the depths of the forest, only to hear a bone-chilling reply of dead silence and the faint echo of her own voice. Tears streaming down her face, she darted out of the area, towards Kokiri Forest.

* * *

_

"Link? You awake?"

Link awoke to Malon's voice. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember the dream he had, so he couldn't recall if it was a good or bad one. He wished he knew, since he would understand if the evil forces had ceased invading his dreams, causing his sleepless nights and nightmares. He wasn't breathing hard, so that was a good sign.

He opened his eyes, and sure enough daylight filled the room. Every object in the area was basking in the morning sunlight that shone through the thin, dusty curtains that draped in front of the small window beside his bed. Malon stood beside him, still in her nightgown. She looked at Link worriedly, like a mother would when her son was sick.

"Huh? What is it?" asked Link, still half-asleep.

"There's someone at the door to see you," she said calmly, but with a hint of uncertainty. "I let him in, seeing that he looked like he was out all night. He's a strange fellow…I offered him something to eat but he politely refused, even though it looked like he hadn't eaten in days."

Link lifted his head off of his pillow, looking at Malon critically. "What did he look like?"

Malon's eyes looked off. "Hm…he had a really strange taste in clothing. It was like…skin tight in most places, with ripped, white cloth overtop of it. Really a slim looking guy, blonde hair, kind of like yours. He's kind of cute."

With a bolt of energy, Link sat up in his bed, the silky white sheets of his bed falling down to his waist. "I'll be right down. Tell him that I'm just getting ready."

Malon looked down mischievously at Link's revealed torso. Something flickered in her eyes that Link couldn't help but grow curious about.

"Hmph…you've been training hard, Link?" she said with a grin.

Link reached around behind him, grabbed a hold of his pillow, and tossed it lightly at Malon, who in turn stopped it from hitting her head with her forearm.

"Go!" said Link with a smile. Malon laughed quietly as she pivoted and began to exit the room. As she shut the door behind her, Link quickly threw off the sheets and recoiled at the coolness of his chamber. He staggered out of bed, but tried his best to hurry up not only because of the man waiting for him downstairs, but also to get some clothes on before he froze to death. At the foot of the nightstand, there rested his skin-tight white shirt on top his emerald tunic, both neatly folded, undisturbed. Breathing hard, unable to stand the cold, Link quickly snatched the white shirt and unfolded it with a quick snap of the wrist. He scrunched it up, making the distance between the bottom of the shirt and the collar much shorter. He slipped it over his head, and forcefully fed both of his arms through the sleeves. He pulled the bottom of the shirt down to his waist, making Link lower his eyebrows once he recalled how tight this thing was. He then picked up and unfolded his tunic, and slipped it on with much less difficulty. His belt was snatched from on top of the table, and was slipped through the loops around the waist of his tunic. He fed the leather through the buckle, and pulled it tight before fastening it. His leather gauntlets were next, and he pulled them both on delicately; he thought they looked too cool for him to damage. His equipment was next. He plucked the various objects from his adventure so far from the ground and put them in the according pockets of his tunic. He even took with him the items that he could no longer use. He pulled out the drawer containing his two ocarinas, and delicately placed in their own pouch.

His eyes hovered over his Hylian shield and the Master Sword. He briskly paced over to their corner of the room, and pulled them off the ground with a sharp tug. The sheath of the sword and the shield were both attached to the strap, so Link could easily swing them over he back. He immediately felt the weight of his weapons take affect, but eased it up a little when he yanked on the belt. With some trouble, he got the leather through the bronze, square loop, and fed it through with ease. He fastened it when it was good and tight, and could feel the weight distributed evenly throughout his body instead of just his back.

He stretched his neck a little bit to still get used to his heavy equipment, and headed over to the nightstand to claim his hat. Navi, still in peaceful slumber, lay undisturbed in the ripples of fabric as she had been the previous night. With a light nudge of Link's finger, she wearily opened her eyes.

"Is it that time already?" she yawned.

"Yeah," said Link. "We should get a move on; there's not a lot of time."

Navi didn't bother to respond, and managed to hoist herself up from her sleeping spot. She stumbled off of the pea green cap and took flight, allowing Link to snatch it off the surface. He slapped it on his head, and parted his bangs with both of his hands; they usually got in his eyes if he didn't. He rushed the left side of the door, where his boots stood waiting for him. He slipped them both on quickly, and tightened the straps at their tops to fasten them to his legs.

Making sure Navi was following close behind, Link opened the door and left his room behind him, leaving it open for his fairy to make her way out as well. He took a left and proceeded down the hallway as he already began to hear voices from below. He approached the stairs that led down to the first floor of Malon's house, and calmly began to make his way down. He didn't rush, since he didn't want to make the impression that he was nervous. He couldn't help the butterflies racing in his stomach if he didn't stop thinking of where he was heading for today. He was heading home, of course, but he didn't think the guardian of the Forest Barrier would take too kindly to it, especially when Link's intention was to shatter the paranormal force field that blocked the awakening call from what little remained of the Sacred Realm.

Reaching the bottom of the flight of steps, he found Sheik leaning up against the wall near the front door, arms crossed, conversing with Malon. He nodded his head occasionally, supposedly signalling that they were having a good chat. He spotted him, his red, Sheikah eyes passing through his; sort of a contrasting good and evil. Link couldn't tell if he was smiling or not; that collar of his always covered his mouth. Link wished he could remove it, since he always liked to see people's faces light up when they smile.

"I feel inclined towards that I am working with a late-starter out of bed, am I wrong?" said Sheik, locking a stare at Link.

Link could feel his face turn red. "I suppose you could say that."

Malon turned around so spot him as well. "Oh, that was fast. I didn't think you'd get down here that quickly."

Sheik turned to Malon. "That was fast…?"

"For Link, yes."

"I see," Sheik mumbled as he turned back to Link with a mischievous look. "You're going to have to get up a lot faster than that if you want to get through this, you know what I mean?"

Link nodded, feeling even the back of his neck turn red.

"If you want the advantage over the enemy, you'd better be up and alert before him," Sheik advised. "Otherwise, you're simply a sitting duck."

Sheik stopped leaning on the wall and stood up straight. He looked up at the ceiling nonchalantly, merely letting his eyes wander.

"Where are you two going, anyway?" Malon inquired. "It sounds like you're doing something dangerous."

"We're heading back to the vast forest in the East," Sheik answered, still looking around. "It is currently hostile territory; I advise you don't request coming along."

"Oh, no…I wasn't suggesting that," said Malon quickly. "It was just out of curiosity."

"Curiosity can lead to many things," Sheik muttered. "It can help you find the most astounding of discoveries, or drag you to your doom." He looked at Malon. "It's not something to be toyed with, let me assure you; I've learned it the hard way many times." He looked off and continued, occasionally looking at Link, as he was talking to him as well. "The inquisitiveness of a human being is like a ferocious pet. Treat it right, and it will reward you with kindness. Abuse it, and it will become your worst enemy." He glanced at Link. "You should keep this in mind as well, for your decisions based on your curiosity will have a much greater toll than Malon's."

Link nodded. "I understand."

"We should be off," breathed Sheik as he began to adjust the bandages on his fingers. "The Forest Barrier won't destroy itself."

"Well, that's an odd way of putting it…" Link commented.

Sheik looked at him, and even though half of his face was concealed under thin, white cloth, Link could tell that he was smiling. "Try to put things in a different light more often, Link," he suggested. "Depending on how you look at things, your perspective can change much more than you'll realize. That may eventually prove of great worth and should come in handy."

"You have a lot of lengthy advice," Link replied. "I wish I understood half of it."

Sheik chuckled, but said nothing. He turned around, twisted the knob, and opened the front door, revealing the crisp sunlight of the early morning on the ranch.

"Oh," Sheik mumbled as he turned around. "It was a pleasure making your acquaintance, Malon. I'm sure we'll once again cross paths in the near future."

"Uh…Sheik, is it?" asked Malon. Sheik nodded. "Oh, well, alright. Nice to meet you too…"

Sheik nodded and proceeded out the door, into the sunlight which didn't really compliment his style too much. Link sighed and began to follow. Before he reached the door, Malon spoke to him.

"Oh, Link…" she said just before he took a step outside. Link turned around to see her standing rather collected by the wall. "Take Epona," she insisted.

Link raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious? You want me to take her over there?"

"I know she'll be fine," said Malon. "Besides, it's the least I can do after you saved the ranch. Just think of it as thanks. I think it would be nice to get her running around, seeing Hyrule and everything it has to offer."

"That's really sweet of you," said Link with a smile. "I really appreciate it."

"Well, that's my little contribution to…whatever it is you're doing. Who knows? She will probably come in handy."

"Thank you, Malon. Your contribution won't go to waste."

Malon's eyes widened. "Let's hope not! I don't want my poor little Epona to be found shivering in the cold, unfed and unloved. I swear I'll have your head."

"Goodbye, Malon," said Link with a grin.

"You going to come back or something?" she asked, stopping Link from going outside again.

"Sure, if you want me to."

"Just remember you always have a place to stay here. I'll always welcome you in; I owe you so much."

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind. If I don't come back tonight, be sure to say hello to Talon for me, all right?"

Malon's face lit up. "I won't forget it; don't worry."

"I'll see you later."

"Bye."

Link headed out the door, and quietly shut it behind him, not wanting to look at Malon as he did so in fear that he might change his mind of leaving. He felt a rush of heat that rose from the ground, clearing up his nostrils of any foul scents that still lingered from his adventure so far. The sun shone brightly with no clouds to obstruct its full glory, beating on the back of Link's neck as he made his way towards Epona.

"You're not so much of the talkative type, are you Navi?" he said, breaking the short silence.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, let's just take the talk we just had with Sheik and Malon for example. You didn't say one word."

"Let's just say I don't have much to comment on when it comes to metaphorical nonsense," she sighed glumly.

"Nonsense?" said Link. "Sheik had some pretty interesting things to say. I think we can learn a lot from him."

"Easy for you to say," Navi exhaled. "I didn't get a word out of that."

Link laughed. "I think if you want to really get what Sheik is trying to say you're going to have to think outside the box. I'd be convinced if I was told the Sheikah lived their lives based off of metaphors."

"Do you know any metaphors, Link?" inquired Navi.

"Who, me?"

"No, the other Link."

"Hm…I'm not sure." Link pondered if he had ever heard some interesting metaphors, besides from Sheik of course. One popped into mind, which he once read in a book he borrowed from Saria one rainy day in the forest. He recited it as if he was reading the book right in front of him.

"People desire change, but must become the very seed of the change they desire to bloom into reality."

"That's it?" said Navi somewhat bitterly.

"Yes, I suppose."

"Man, you're even more confusing than Sheik…"

"Well, I guess that makes it a good metaphor; it makes you think," said Link, trying to shed some light onto the subject.

"Do you know what it means?" Navi asked, actually sounding a little interested.

"I was probably as confused as you were when I first read it. Come to think of it I've never really found out what it means," mumbled Link. He began to think once again what the true meaning of what he just said was. "You know, I have no idea. I guess it just sounds interesting."

"Perhaps I can offer some insight into the subject?" uttered a voice from up ahead. It was Sheik, admiring Epona's well-groomed mane. The horse was still lashed to the stable, sheltered under the lip of its roof. Sheik shifted his gaze over to Link and Navi, as if expecting an answer.

"Uh, sure," Link replied. "You're probably better at these things than me."

Sheik blinked. "Can you say the phrase again, please?"

Link thought again as he caught up with his new companion. He almost forgot the sentence as he brought it to mind once more. "People desire change, but must become the very seed of the change they desire to bloom into reality."

Sheik looked away, over Epona's back, staring at the dusty wood of the stable. He continued to stroke his slender fingers across her side as he thought. Epona's tail moved in delight as Sheik comforted her. She seemed even eager to get moving; possibly even as much as Link.

Link noticed that Sheik seldom blinked; he always seemed to be looking keenly at something, whether it being imperative or trivial. Of course Link had yet to find his reasons, since Sheik was still somewhat of an acquaintance. Perhaps after they raided the Forest Barrier, he might come out with a better understanding for him. It was hard to bring something like that to mind though, since Sheik's very appearance seemed to symbolize mystery. He didn't seem like a very open kind of guy; never really talking about himself and getting to the point most of the time. At the least he was knowledgeable, and Link had uncertainties that he had done something similar to this before.

He had a funny feeling that he was probably never going to confirm those suspicions.

"Hm…that's interesting," Sheik muttered. "Where did you hear that one, pray tell?"

"I…read it in a book once, a long time ago," Link replied, almost nervously.

"As a child?"

"You could say that."

"I'm surprised you still remember it," Sheik complimented. "It's been a while since I've ran into someone brandishing such memory." He shrugged. "Well, it's not like I encounter many interesting people, especially these days."

"Any thoughts on it?" Link asked, returning to the initial subject.

Sheiks eyes widened, as if awoken suddenly from a deep sleep. "Oh, erm…sorry, I got carried away." He recollected himself. "Well, since this one's is new to me, and since all of these sayings can have more than one true meaning, I can only give a theory…at least what I interpret it as."

"It's better than nothing," said Link, shrugging.

Sheik nodded, his eyes still wandering, moving this way and that; another odd trait that Link noticed. "Well, here's what I think," he began. "The most literal part of the phrase is that people desire change. I'm sure you can understand it thus far."

"That part was literal?" Navi interrupted. "Well, at least there's at least one part that makes sense."

"The whole sentence should make sense to you, Navi, if you let me continue," said Sheik wittingly. Navi apologized as Sheik went on. "When people covet a change, they will often follow the view of one extremist or revolutionary, going with his views and visions of the future. Are you with me so far?"

"Yeah," said Link. "Kind of like Ganondorf's followers."

"Exactly. That's a prime example of such behaviour," said Sheik. "Now, just as every human being is different, so are their views of a better world or something of the sort. So, taking Link's example of Ganondorf's minions, the vast majority of them don't share Ganondorf's views to the very last detail, even though they can be similar. Ultimately, the goal they wished to achieve by joining him has vanished."

"Okay," said Navi. "But what does this have to do with 'becoming the seed', or 'blooming into reality' or whatever?"

"That's where the metaphor comes in," answered Sheik. "If you want your change to become real, or in other words, bloom into reality, the only person who has the correct vision is you. So, with that in mind, you have to make the change yourself, or become the seed of the change. Otherwise, your dream will not come true."

"Oh…I think I get it now," mumbled Link.

"How did you make sense out of that?" Navi asked. "I had absolutely no clue what it was trying to say."

"Reading literature and poetry is a pastime of mine," said Sheik. "These things just come naturally to me."

"You like to read?" Link asked, rather interested.

Sheik nodded. "Ever since I was a child I professed an interest in literary works. It's a hobby that you don't see quite often."

"Maybe that's what makes you unique?"

Sheik, despite his oversized collar obstructing his mouth, was apparently smiling. "Trust me on this, Hero of Time, a mere rare hobby isn't the only thing that makes me unique."

Link raised an eyebrow. "What else makes you unique? Not that I'm really that curious…"

Sheik laughed. "You don't need to act cordial around me, Hero of Time; I already have a great amount of respect for you. Anyways, you'll find out in due time. For now, we need to focus on the job at hand."

"Good idea," said Navi, fluttering over and sitting on Link's shoulder, crossing her legs. "Come to think of it…I wonder what's going on in the forest right now." She looked seriously at Link. "I'm worried about Saria too."

"We should go then," Link said. "I'm just as worried. You said she would be in danger, right Sheik?"

"If we don't leave now…" Sheik began. "…she will be dead by the end of the day."

"What! We have to go then! We have to help her!"

"I never had any intention that said otherwise, Link," Sheik assured him.

"Do you know how she is in danger?" Link asked in desperation.

Sheik solemnly shook his head.

"Okay, we're going. Now," said Link, with a faint tone of anger. He began to approach Epona, not really thinking about what he was doing. Sheik, possibly even the slightest bit nervous about getting in his way, backed away slowly from the horse. Link's hands were clenched into vengeful fists as he walked past him, feeling Navi quietly slip under his hat. He hoisted himself over Epona's saddle, locking his feet into the stirrups. He got comfortable in the seat, having one hand on the shaft of the horn as the other reached for the reins.

"I pray you are not acting too hastily, Hero of Time," Sheik advised. "You do realize that recklessness can lead to disaster."

"Don't worry about it," said Link, peering ahead and not bothering to look at Sheik. "Whatever it is the guardian wants, I'm going to make sure he won't get it."

"Take heed, Hero of Time," Sheik said sternly. "You are beginning to take the guardian of the Forest Barrier much too lightly. Believe me, this is something you do not want to do!"

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Link said angrily. "I'm not going to let anything happen to Saria; not after I left her alone for all these years. The guardian obviously wants something with her, and I'll be damned if I let him get it!"

"Haven't you begun to understand, Link?" yelled Sheik. "He wants _you_!"

Link looked at Sheik with quivering eyes. "…what?"

"You should've realized by now that the news of you returning to Hyrule has spread to the four corners of the world," said Sheik crossly. "With the Forest Guardian putting a girl you know rather closely in danger, he is clearly trying to lure you to him."

"How so?" snapped Link, not believing what the young Sheikah was saying.

"Think about it, Link," said Sheik in a more calm tone. "What else would he want to accomplish by putting a close on in danger?" He crossed his arms. "Don't take him for a fool; he's a lot more cunning than you think, as is the nature of the Five Guardians. Being a member of that elite force, there isn't much you really want; it's a great honour to be selected to guard the very source of Ganondorf's power."

"But why would he want me to come to him?" questioned Link. "He knows it's my destiny to destroy the Five Guardians and defeat Ganondorf."

"That is true," Sheik agreed. "But the guardians don't believe in such prophecies, especially one passed down by the three goddesses they despise so much."

"That still doesn't explain why he wants me to come to him."

"Although the Five Guardians have exceeding ranks as they currently stand," Sheik started. "They naturally desire more than what they have, and crave an even higher rank, which there is only one position."

"…and that is?"

"The second-in-command," Sheik answered. "As you know, that title is currently held by Kanakana. The guardians desire his rank, which would be much more glorious than lurking around one of the five temples in order to maintain your class."

"So what does this have to do with anything?"

"What it has to do, Hero of Time, is the fact that in order to obtain this rank, you have to please you master, in this case Ganondorf." Sheik narrowed his eyes. "…and what does Ganondorf want, Link?"

Link fell silent for a moment or two, squeezing the leather reins between his thumb and the side of his index finger. "He wants…me dead?"

"And with that knowledge," sighed Sheik. "What do you think the Forest Guardian's goal is?"

"The exact same thing?"

Sheik lowered his head gravely. "You're falling right into a trap, Link, I can guarantee it. The Forest Guardian undoubtedly has something up his sleeve, considering your potential."

Link looked at his hands, loosely holding onto Epona's leather straps. He saw his fingers twitching, his hands beginning to shake uncontrollably. The thoughts of what the Forest Guardian had in store for him and the nervousness that came along with them found their way back to the fore, and Link could not fend them off.

"Well, what are we going to do?" he asked desperately.

"There is nothing we can do about his counter-preparations," said Sheik. "The best thing we can do is expect the unexpected, and don't fall for any of his tricks."

"It won't be easy…" Link mumbled.

"But not too much of a problem," Sheik assured him. "His misjudgement will be his downfall. You need not worry, Link; I will watch out for you if you watch out for me. I will help you all that I can."

Link nodded, looking onward. His hands ceased to shake. "All right. Let's do this."

Sheik chuckled. "Ah, that's the spirit. Let's enjoy liberating the east from Ganondorf's grip."

"And saving Saria," Link added.

"That too. If you truly believe in the legend, you will do fine," Sheik said with conviction. "As long as you trust in that sword in which you carry on your back, not one enemy, not even Ganondorf will withstand to your might. The Forest Guardian shall learn this first hand."

"Yeah," said Link, feeling a lot more confident. He now bore a smile. "I say we send a message to the other four guardians that I'm back, and their reign of terror is about to go up in flames."

"And they shall not forget it. By the time the Forest Barrier falls, they will surely panic. They move too slowly to counter our preparations. Unable to unite against a common foe, they will fall one by one."

"Then let's run head-first into this one," said Link. "I don't want to delay any longer. I can't wait to see him cower before my blade."

"I will meet you at the border of the Forbidden Forest. I will be there before you, so keep a look out for me when you arrive with your steed," Sheik advised. "I wish you a safe journey, and get there as soon as you can. Good luck!"

With a sudden puff of ashy smoke, Sheik was enveloped in a hazy plume, soon vanishing into thin air. Link continued to look onward, down the hill that led to the grassy plains which acted as his route back home.

At the same time though, he wasn't sure if his home was still in one piece, or even there at all anymore.

He lightly tapped his heels into Epona's sides, and began trotting out of Lon Lon Ranch.

* * *

_He viciously tied the cloth behind her neck, not caring if he was hurting her or not. That would stop her from screaming, at least for now. She had been proving herself to be such a nuisance; first, she tried escaping several times, so he was forced to tie her hands and feet together to keep her from moving. As if that weren't enough, she began to scream uncontrollably in the canvas hall, and now he muffled her annoying cries with the pale-white cloth he grabbed off a Stalfos lurking around the perimeters of the Forest Temple. He had the cloth only over her mouth, and left her nose free to suck in the stale air of the room, deep in the heart of the temple. He wanted her alive, at least for the time being. If this didn't work, then it would've been a complete waste of time and effort for him, and he would have to think of something far more drastic._

_She was on her knees, her hands tied behind her back, her head drooped low as she made nothing but muffled grunts and moans, a few sobs to fill in the small intervals between them. Such an innocent little thing, curled in fear at the world he had brought her into. She didn't know true fear, not yet anyway. She didn't know what it was like to be under the heavy pressure of being monitored closely by the most powerful man in Hyrule. She was small, almost sweet in a way, to the point when he could've sworn he felt the slightest bit of sympathy._

_He looked at her hair, the oddest green colour, prettied up with a cute jade hair band. It was an odd feeling that came over him. He wasn't used to seeing a pretty little thing like this, being surrounded by Stalfos, Blue and Green Bubbles and the like. The closest thing to that of the fairer sex were the four Poe Sisters, but the ghostly apparitions served none such pleasant thoughts. He kneeled down behind her, and delicately ran his fingers through her silky strands. She flinched when he touched her, most likely afraid he was going to hurt her, but eventually relaxed he shoulders, once realizing that he was merely being curious. She was still breathing hard and sobbing, but he didn't expect her to suddenly trust him or anything; he kidnapped and tied her up in the basement of his lair. If anything, he was surprised she didn't squirm. She may have been scared to death, but he found it somewhat reassuring that she would recognise an act of kindness, even if it was after a series of morbidly sinister acts. She was soft-hearted; a little too soft-hearted for her own good; despite the fact that she knew he had no pity over her._

_Her trepidation was still apparent in her tears and shaky limbs, but he thought it wouldn't hurt to at least talk to her and calm her down slightly. No one had really let him do something like that, and he could at least reward her somewhat._

_He put his hands on her shoulders, and leaned slowly toward her ear._

"_I know you're scared," Phantom whispered calmly._

_Another stifled cry came from underneath the fabric that covered her mouth._

"_I know…I know…" he said, acting sympathetic. "I know exactly what must be going through your mind right now."_

_She was breathing so hard, almost to the point of hyperventilation._

"_You're wondering whether you're going to see your home again. You want to know if you will ever see your friends again, or even if you are going to live at all. Am I right?"_

_The girl fell silent, but he could still hear her breathing, and could almost feel it as he watched her back rise and fall._

"_Yes…" he whispered. "You're afraid of me, aren't you?" He rubbed his thumbs on her shoulder blades, trying to calm her down even further. "I pretended to be your best friend. I kidnapped you, took you away from your home, and tied you up down here…oh, you must be traumatised by this horrible ordeal."_

_She began to cough as she continued to cry, but he could feel that she was starting to calm down, even if it was ever so slightly._

"_And here I am…" he said quietly. "Rubbing your back, in this dark, gloomy place." He leaned in closer to her ear. "But why is it that you don't resist? Why is it that you accept what little comfort I offer you?"_

_She fell silent, although he could still see tears rolling down her cheeks. Her breathing slowed, and her body's shaking began to calm._

"_Still yet I feel the fear leaving you," Phantom said, noticing this. "Do you not fear me? Don't you think I'm going to hurt you?"_

_She remained as she was, unmoving, peaceful, trying not to let her emotions show. The cloth was blown out and sucked in as she tried to breathe through her mouth, but had to resort to inhaling through her nose, absorbing the dead air of the Forest Temple._

"_Hey," he said coolly. "You can answer me, you know. Does it really seem like your purpose here is merely to harm you?"_

_The girl paused, almost stopping her breathing. She continued to look at the cold floor, not wanting to shift her gaze over to him. She slowly shook her head._

"_Exactly," Phantom said slowly. "I don't intend to harm you in any way. Does that make you feel better?"_

_She shook her head once more almost immediately, and began to cry again._

"_Hm…tell you what," said Phantom as he moved one palm down to the middle of her back, making small circles. "Would talking to me make you feel any better? Even the slightest bit?"_

_She hesitated again, and was still kind of hiccupping as she wept. This was a longer pause than before, but Phantom could sense what she was thinking. It was only a matter of time until she gave him a straight answer. She nodded._

"_Okay," he said kindly. "I'll take this cloth off, as long as you promise not to scream; I don't like it when you scream…it pains me. Is it a deal?"_

_She nodded immediately. It seemed that she was desperate to get that cloth off her. He didn't blame her either; a Stalfos' garment won't smell too pleasant, especially when it's under your nose. He silently began to untie the knot he made on the back of her neck, partially concealed by her hair. He was gentle; he didn't want to hurt her as he undid the only thing that kept her from screaming. The fabric rustled as it was drawn against itself as he pulled the two ends out of the small tangle. He pulled out of the last loop, and the fabric was free. He placed it in his right hand, and got up off the ground._

_She didn't scream; she was as silent as ever._

"_Good girl," he said. "See? It's not so bad, is it?"_

_He walked around her, looking at her intently. Even with the cloth off of her, she still did not say anything. She was such a quiet little girl; when placed in such as predicament, she did what she was told. Perhaps she was another that feared death, and was willing to cooperate in order to save her life. He knelt down in front of her, only to be disappointed to see her head still hung low, her bangs covering up her eyes. With a careful hand, he reached under them, and managed to get his index, middle, and ring finger under her chin. He gently lifted it up, causing her head to look in his direction, her bangs naturally parting to reveal her eyes, red with tears. She looked at him in fear and worry, but said nothing still yet._

"_What's your name?" Phantom asked. "Saria, isn't it?"_

_She slowly nodded. "Yes…my name is Saria," she snivelled._

_Phantom continued to look at her, and she could not stop looking at him. Perhaps she had never seen anything like him, for he was in front of her in his true form; something that very few saw._

"_You're a very pretty girl, Saria," he complimented. "I haven't seen a Kokiri quite like yourself."_

_Saria sniffed and looked off to the right. Before her eyes were out of sight, Phantom caught a glimpse of another tear streaming down her face. "Thank you…" she whispered ever so softly, almost sounding ashamed of what she was saying._

"_Tell me, Saria," Phantom began. "Your friend…Link…"_

"_The one you impersonated?" she choked. "The one you thought you could pretend to be?" She began to cry again._

"_Yes, him," Phantom answered. "Enlighten me, Saria. What happened to him?"_

_Saria let out a long, quivering sigh. "He…left. A long time ago. He never came back and I doubt he ever will." Her voice shook with every word she spoke. Phantom watched a tear or two hit the ground, and almost freeze when they came in contact with it._

"_I see," he said. He paused for a moment or two, thinking. "What would you think, Saria, if I were to tell you that he…how to say it…came back?"_

_Saria suddenly looked at him. Her eyes seemed to express disgust and anger. "What?"_

"_To tell you the truth, little one, the one you refer to as Link returned to Hyrule just the other day," Phantom said with a hint of confidence. "He is coming this way, with a companion, for the sole purpose of rescuing you. What do you think of that?"_

_Saria's eyes widened, more tears pouring out than ever. "Is…is that why…you…?"_

"_Precisely," said Phantom darkly. "With you in danger, it was only in his best interest to come here, and somehow put an end to me. I will crush him, and with Link out of the picture, I can finally mark my place in history as the Great Ganondorf's most momentous servant!"_

_Saria, her eyes sweet and blue, expressed an emotion which Phantom had not seen before. They were furious, as if she was sickened by what he just said._

"_What…kind of forsaken being are you?" she gasped. "How can you do such a thing?"_

"_You don't understand, young Saria," Phantom insisted. "You do not realize what I am trying to accomplish. I am merely aiming to please my master, and to replace General Kanakana as his commanding officer. The world will truly usher in a new age once I make my impact. Once it is all said and done, my dear Saria, then I will let you free, untouched and unharmed."_

"_He'd surely kill you before you even dream of it!" spat Saria. "If what you say is true, and if he really is coming back, then you'll be dead before you even know it!"_

_Now, Phantom was infuriated. He squeezed the cloth in his right hand in anger as his eyes burned with rage._

"_It seems I made a mistake in taking this cloth off you, Miss Saria," he growled. "From now on, I believe it would be best if you do not say another word during the rest of your stay here."_

_He viciously once again pressed the foul-smelling cloth onto Saria's mouth. She struggled, screaming under the cloth as he forced it on her, jerking her head left and right in a desperate attempt to fling it off. Phantom, overpowering the girl, held her head still with one hand while he brought the fabric around the back of her neck. He did he first knot with one hand while he kept her from moving with the other. Once that was done, he released his other hand and used it to do the second and final knot, securing the rag firmly in place. Once she was no longer able to shriek, he turned and walked away dispassionately, no longer caring for her well being anymore. He thought she would understand, and perhaps admire what he was doing, but she didn't; just like the rest of them. He felt a lot more at peace now that she wasn't able to talk anymore._

_Before he could reach the stairs leading back into the temple's main hall, he was halted by a sudden tear in the dimensions. A visual portal literally appeared before him, just inches above the first step. It filled the entire opening, blocking Phantom's access. The hole yawned, revealing the murky blackness it showed to him. Amidst the blackness, an entity appeared, like it was surfacing out of a pitch-black pool of tar. It was a single eye, unblinking, glowing blood-red, flanked by pale, ripped, rotting flesh as if it has burst out from it, surrounded by small, tentacle-like appendages. There was a long, continuous groaning sound as it continued to fill the window between dimensions. The eye's pupil, a bright yellow dot, encircled by a dozen others, revolved out from the top, rolling out of its hideous socket. The pupil seemed to glow even brighter as it looked directly at Phantom, as if expressing anger._

_Phantom, however, was not intimidated; he bore a smug grin._

"_Ah," he said, with a few laughs in-between. "It seems as if the guardian of the Shadow Barrier has been so kind to pay me a visit." He suddenly covered his mouth. "Oh...that's right. You're not really here are you?"_

_The eye looked up, looking almost annoyed. "Upon my recent confinement in the wretched catacombs of Kakariko, I have hence removed myself from the corporal world," said the Shadow Guardian. Its voice was monstrous, guttural, and almost hard to understand due to its abstractness._

_Phantom laughed. "Oh, yes. I almost forgot; you fell to the wit of the one they call Impa. From what my subordinates have been telling me, I heard that she managed to seal you beneath Kakariko's town well! Quite a pathetic fate from one who should be protecting the seal at the Shadow Temple!"_

_The monster's eye burned bright. "Never underestimate the power of another guardian, warlock!" it said sternly. The ground almost shook when it spoke. "The seal was weak. I have begun the final incantation that will bring me back into the physical realm of our universe within days."_

"_And during that time," said Phantom pretentiously. "You will witness my rise to power. I will defeat the Hero of Time, and earn my place as second-in-command to the Great Ganondorf himself." He smiled wickedly. "Take heed, Bongo-Bongo: one I replace Lord Kanakana, you will regret ever establishing an antagonistic relationship with me."_

_Bongo-Bongo had contacted Phantom numerous times in the past. They had ever since grown more aggressive towards each other, Bongo-Bongo usually having the upper hand in their arguments, whether it being a simple exchange of soldiers, or a complete strategic move when countering the constantly moving extremists of the Second Year Revolts. Both of them being spirits from beyond the void, they could relate, but just not too well. It seemed that Bongo-Bongo had a predisposition to making a bold statement on who is the superior one, but this was also an apparent trait in the other guardians as well. The nature of the guardians was that although they were allied with each other, they all rivalled each other at the same time, hoping for recognition as the greatest of the five._

"_I know far more than you realize, Phantom," Bongo-Bongo replied coarsely. "I have been well aware of your intentions from the second they even crossed your mind." His giant, pulsing eye drifted over to Saria, barely in view, still somewhat squirming. "However, now that I recall why I'm contacting you in the first place…I find it crude that you resort to kidnapping a young Kokiri in order to establish something with the Hero. How the mighty have fallen, wouldn't you agree?"_

_Phantom's eye twitched. Bongo-Bongo usually didn't care about inferior beings such as the Kokiri Tribe. He was simply using it as a way of trying to put forth that Phantom was somehow an incompetent guardian. "It is merely something to grab his attention. It's nothing that I'm using the make the bold statement you assume it to be!" He exhaled angrily. "Who are you to talk down to me, Bongo-Bongo? Do you think you are somehow superior to the others?"_

_Bongo-Bongo's eye turned back to Phantom. "What separates me from you and the others is that I have no interest in rivalling with lesser beings such as yourself for sheer power; authority is something that is not in my field of concern."_

"_Lesser beings!" snapped Phantom. "I'd have you know that if you continue making such comments so casually, the others won't take too kindly to it. Morpha…Twin Rova…should they both unite with Volvagia, they would undoubtedly possess thrice your strength and annihilate you."_

_Bongo-Bongo's eye rolled back once more. "As dark abhors light, and light abhors dark, the others will not…CAN NOT…join forces." His pupil appeared once more. "…as has been foretold."_

"_What has been foretold means nothing!" barked Phantom. "The Great Ganondorf will acknowledge me for my efforts and have Lord Kanakana lurk around this desolate temple instead. Maybe then, you may understand, Bongo-Bongo."_

_Bongo-Bongo chuckled, the vibrations in the floor now obviously felt. "If that is your goal, then make sure he is dead." He began to whisper. "…or insane." He went back to his normal voice. "Or, perhaps one…then the other? Just make sure he is removed from the picture. Perhaps, after that, our master will possibly be hard-pressed to perform the function you desire." His eye glowed even brighter. "For your own schemes, Phantom, think of your future…"_

"_Believe me, Shadow Guardian," said Phantom. "He is as good as dead. Him, and everyone he intends to bring with him."_

_Bongo-Bongo's eye wandered around in the portal, the link between the spiritual and material world wavering. "Then waste no more time. Destroy him swiftly." The eye began to grow still, but slowly grow closer to the portal. "Your power flows through the Great Ganondorf, and without him you are nothing." His eye was almost filling the entire portal now. "Without him, you aren't even flesh, nor bone."_

_The portal began to shiver, the link inches from being severed. Bongo-Bongo spoke once more before it was completely destroyed. "Remember that…"_

_The portal dissolved, and Phantom was once again faced with the stairs he originally intended to ascend. He began to proceed forward, but not without taking Bongo-Bongo's words into consideration.

* * *

_

Almost like a marching army of trees, the border of the Forbidden Forest emerged over the crest of the hill. Epona, living up to Link's expectations when it came to speed, pounded her hooves through the dirt between the blades of grass like it was solid pavement. Recent rains had made the soil moist and soft, but from what Link could tell, Epona's hooves sinking into the ground didn't slow her down at all. The outline of trees stretched all the way across the horizon; further than Link could see. The cold morning wind soared past him, like icy needles being flung at him from afar. It was hard for him to really concentrate by the silhouette of evergreens, giant cedars and oaks, and all of the other various plants that called the Forbidden Forest home. The odd bird would leave its nest and fly over the canopy to begin its search for food for its offspring, but Link was driving Epona far too fast to really look for them. It didn't matter anyway; he was more concerned in finding Sheik than to observe the everyday activities of the forest's wildlife. Although admiring the extreme diversity of everything living in the forest was one of Link's favourite things to do, it was not of his concern now. It would be like going to a restaurant for a nice meal while your city is being bombarded from the heavens.

There was lots of time to do that after he got rid of the threat there.

As the border drew nearer and nearer, Link began to think of his course of action was. He knew that not knowing the capabilities of his enemy was a disadvantage, since his enemy probably studied him obsessively. He was determined, but the mysteriousness of the Forest Guardian was already attempting to break that wall of fortitude to the ground. It was almost like he was heading into the unknown, into completely hostile territory on a suicide mission, unaware of the firepower of the opposition. He had no idea how many guards were protecting the Forest Temple, and no clue how powerful the entity who controlled them was. Sheik said that he would probably have something up his sleeve, and Link couldn't deny that. The guardians were selected to take care of a situation like this, and they would undoubtedly have some kind of a backup plan in case something went wrong. What bothered him even more was the possible nature of this plan, whether it being an easy escape route, making it harder for Link to kill the guardian, or something that would take Link out before he even knew what hit him.

He suddenly had the feeling that someone was watching him. It might've been the ominous thought of drawing nearer and nearer to a major concentration of Ganondorf's evil: something he should stay away from. He looked overhead, and spotted a bunch of harmless crows circling overhead, nothing more. They oddly followed Link's trail, as if they were curious about where he was going. There were no more than thirty of them, and they were probably heading to the forest for a morning hunt. This was probably what Link was feeling. He had gotten so paranoid of Ganondorf's minions, that he almost mistook a harmless flock of crows as spies.

With the line of trees in almost arm's reach, Link pulled lightly on Epona's reigns to gradually slow her down. He was so close now that he could see the bark on the trees, the thick brush on the forest floor, and the enchanted fireflies that floated around without direction in the depths of the woods. He stopped the horse just outside the line of trees, and stroked her mane a few times for a job well done. He dismounted, still holding onto the reigns. He guided Epona over to the thinnest tree he could find, and took the two long leather ropes and brought it around its trunk before tying it tightly in place. Epona looked somewhat disappointed that Link was going to leave her so soon, so he gently ran his hand down the front of her face.

"It's okay," he assured her. "I won't be long. I'll just be a few hours at the most, all right?"

Epona snorted.

"I'll take that as a yes," Link replied. "You can wait, can't you? You waited all night for me yesterday; you can wait for me now. I'll bring you some food when I come back. How does that sound?"

Epona neighed happily at Link's last comment. It seemed as if she was eager to let Link into the forest without her now. Perhaps she was simply hungry.

"I'll see you in a bit," Link closed off with.

"…and just when do you plan on getting this food? Before or after we do what needs to be done?" asked Sheik, appearing from behind one of the trees. It looked like he was hiding there the whole time.

"After," Link responded. "And by the way, Sheik. I think you have a bad habit of appearing in what you think is the cleverest way."

Sheik laughed. Link had him there. "Well, what can I say? I'm a Sheikah; it's just my nature."

They both had a moment or two to breathe, maybe to contemplate what they were going to do.

"Have you ever been inside here?" Link asked, feeling curious.

Sheik paused for a moment, and then shook his head slowly. "Although I've studied it enough to know my way around, I have never set foot inside the forest."

"I see," said Link. "You'd best follow my lead then. I at least know the forest enough to know what things are harmless and what things to avoid."

"Keep in mind, Hero of Time, the forest isn't as it used to be," Sheik advised.

"I know," said Link, almost forgetting that detail. "It's not like I won't be careful."

Sheik sighed. "So be it. Let's waste no more time. Lead the way, Link."

Link and Sheik entered the Forbidden Forest of Hyrule with high spirits and half-full stomachs. Link was forced to draw his sword only a few minutes in, since the brush began to get rather thick. He swiped at the bushes with the Master Sword, cutting them down to size for easier travel. Sheik walked calmly behind him, but was having noticeably more trouble getting around than Link was. Apparently, it would seem that only if you lived in the forest for half your life would you really be able to travel as easily. For once, Link felt that he was slightly more knowledgeable than Sheik when it was usually the other way around. They didn't talk too much; maybe the odd mention of where they were going to go or what they were going to do, but no deep conversation of literature and life-lessons. Perhaps Sheik was less inclined to talk about such things when in hostile territory.

However, Sheik seemed to be enjoying the sights of the forest; something he had not yet experienced. He loved looking at the rays of sunlight poking through the gaps between the leaves of the thick canopy, and listening to their rustling as a calm breeze swept over them. He was mesmerized by the dusty grey bark of the magnificently tall trees, and the multiple shades of green that covered the forest floor. He had never seen the small shrubs, newly-sprouted trees, bushes, flowers, moss and every other growing thing in this unknown part of Hyrule. Vines hung from the canopy and grew up the trunks of the seemingly endless rows of trees. It was almost like stepping into another void, judging by the expression of his eyes. As they ventured deeper and deeper into the woods, it got darker as well. It was almost like there was a hazy mist appearing out of nowhere, but this was simply an illusion caused by the mysterious magic that radiated from the life forms here. Once they were relatively deep into the forest, the fireflies, the things that gave the forest a touch of mystical beauty, made their appearance above their heads and all around them. They flew underneath their arms, through their hair, underneath their legs, but never touched them in the slightest way. Link had the feeling that they thought they were intruders, and they were scanning them so they could remember what they looked like.

It did feel odd going through the forest again. Link knew his home well as a child, but he was uncertain if it would all be the same, as Sheik told him. He didn't even know how the Kokiri would react when he got there, or if they would recognise him at all. If they did remember him, he wasn't sure if they would be pleased that he returned, or mad that he abandoned them to be attacked by Ganondorf's soulless soldiers. That being said, he wasn't sure if he would recognise any of the others he once knew. Since he grew up, they would've grown up as well during the time he was gone. He wasn't even sure if he would recognize Saria as an adult.

As nerve-wracking as it was, Link was ecstatic on going home again. He wanted to see his old house again, at least if it was still intact. He was curious about what everyone looked like all grownup; it was something to behold for them as well. It had been a long time since he was with his own tribe—his own people. Although a lot of his memories of them he wasn't so fond of, the happy times he had there were the ones that stuck with him the most. He missed playing games with the other children in the small stream that ran through the village. He missed helping the twins with their garden. He longed to take a trip to the Know-It-All Brothers' house to hear a good story or two. It would've been paradise to have another chat with the owner of the Kokiri Store when he had nothing jingling in his pockets.

Saria was of course his fondest memory, but he knew she wasn't in a state to relive her memories with him. She needed his help, and by Link's gut feeling, she needed it desperately. Who knew what the Forest Guardian was doing to her at this very moment? He had a fraught urge to play the song that she taught him in order to contact her, but he feared that making her talk to him would only anger the guardian, and it would only cause her more pain. He kept telling her in his mind to hold on and don't give in to him, whatever he was. He wanted Link, not Saria, and he was going to get him and everything that came along with him. Following orders and pleasing Link's prime enemy was one thing; causing pain to his friends was another. It was a despicable act, and Link obliged himself to swear that the evil guardian's actions would not go unpunished.

After about an hour hike through the density of the forest, Link and Sheik managed to make their way to a small ridge, about ten feet in height. It was grey stone, stained in dirt, with the roots of trees and vines covering the majority of its surface. It curved away from them, and ran into the depths of the woodland. A tunnel was mined through it, large enough for a person to walk through it. Link shivered at an apparent foul wind that oozed through the channel. It was definitely an unpleasant feeling, for Link knew where this tunnel led.

"Well, this is it," he sighed. "Through this tunnel lies Kokiri Village." He turned around to Sheik. He was looking at him intently, arms crossed, as if expecting him to say something. Link's eyes looked away. "Something tells me that something is wrong in there," Link groaned. "It's something evil. I think you're right about the effects of Ganondorf's power."

"An Elemental Temple's power cannot be accurately defined in terms we understand," said Sheik. "For seven years, their cause has corroded your world, fuelled by the very power of the guardians that protect them."

"I know that," said Link. "And I know that the only way to stop the flow of evil energy is to destroy the guardian. Once I do that, the Sage will finally hear the awakening call by the Sacred Realm and will be reborn as one of them. That's what will happen, right?"

Sheik nodded. "Correct. I don't see why you seem so worried."

"Well, it's after it's all said and done is what I'm worried about," said Link.

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you know the evil energy will stop radiating from the temple, and a Sage will be born…"

"Yes."

"What I'm worried about is once the Sage is in control of the temple, will benevolent energy radiate from it, or will it produce no energy at all?" Link began to shake his head. "If nothing happens when we awaken the Forest Sage, then the forest will be left in its current state, and there's nothing we can do about it."

Sheik was silent for a moment or two. It looked like Link got him thinking, and that wasn't reassuring Link at all. If Sheik didn't know of these things, he had no idea who did.

"Although that is an uncertainty, and definitely a valid concern, it shouldn't slow us from doing what we are here to do," said Sheik. "If it simply to stop the evil energy, and not replace it with that of light, then it is still beneficial to the surrounding area, is it not? The land will no longer suffer, but it will have to heal on its own. That's not so bad when you think about it, is it?"

"I suppose not," Link sighed. "All right. We don't have a lot of time. Let's head in and see what we can find."

"Very well," said Sheik. "Be careful; we don't know what is lurking beyond that tunnel."

They proceeded through the dark tunnel, leaving the dim light of the forest behind them. Their footsteps bounced off the walls, reverberating off the narrow walls of the hand-mined passageway. The slight breeze, which Link felt when standing in front of it, had manifested itself into a foul wind, which carried the very essence of the seething evil that penetrated his home. He felt anger swelling within the depths of his soul, eager to deliver the final blow to the Forest Guardian. The complete silence of the tunnel was almost unsettling to him. He was expecting there to be loud noises at the end as the village was bound to the chains of chaos and evil.

Within a minute, they reached the other side of the tunnel, and had entered Kokiri Village.

It was just as he remembered it. It was as if he were looking through a window into the past, only this time it was real, unlike when he saw Zelda and Impa being ambushed in that mirror when he talked to Rauru. He looked at the grass below his feet, and remembered how it was always neatly trimmed. The sky was a cloudy green, covered up by low clouds that always swept over the clearing in which the village was located. The fireflies were clearly more abundant here, and they floated around with much more energy. The tall cliffs that surrounded the village were as prominent as ever, dwarfing everything else in the forest, save for the trees of course. He remembered the slim waterfall that poured calmly into the small pond that ran into the tiny stream that stretched across the length of the village. It churned the water, mixing in the oxygen contained in the air, making it clean, pure, and pretty much good to drink. Due to the clouds passing by overhead, the forest had an emerald-green haze, but not so thick that you can't clearly see the other side. It merely added a more mystical and bewildering atmosphere.

Link was still disturbed by the noticeable foul winds, which he now figured were coming from the Lost Woods. He wondered if they were coming from the Forest Temple, and this wasn't a wind at all, but a physical side-effect from the pulsing dark energy.

When Link looked around, he noticed that something was wrong. When he remembered the forest, he always remembered the other children running around, laughing, playing games, or working. Even in the middle of the night, at least someone was out doing something. Now, when he looked over every part of the village, not one soul was in sight. It was almost eerie in a sense, because it reminded him of a ghost town. He began to worry if everyone in the forest was truly gone, all fallen to the will of Ganondorf. They couldn't have all gone though, as long as Saria was around. If she was alive, they were alive; that was all there was to it. If they were anywhere, they were probably in their homes, hiding from something. Whatever it was, Link was going to investigate.

"Okay, Sheik," said Link after a long silence. "Let's head on in. Keep a look-out for anything moving."

Sheik nodded. "Good thinking. Don't let your guard down, Hero of Time. It wouldn't be unwise to take out you're shield, now that you have your sword out."

Link nodded and reached back to fit his Hylian shield onto his forearm, and bring it out in front of him. With Link fully armed, Sheik withdrew his knife from a scabbard attached to his waist belt. Link rolled his shoulders and got ready for anything.

Sheik told him to be prepared, and so far Sheik's advice had been helpful, for Link took one step forward into the village and something happened almost immediately.

A rather large creature sprung out of the ground, and it was unlike anything Link had seen before. It wasn't like an animal, but more of a hybrid between an animal and a plant. It had a long, green, thin stem, with torn, rotten leaves at the base and top of the stalk, which appeared to be half-eaten by insects. At the top, instead of a flower, it was more like a bulb that opened and closed just like a mouth. It was violet, with many pulsing, red veins running through it, throbbing as blood was pumped viciously throughout. It had a small row of teeth, extremely small and extremely thin, but looked sharp enough to tear through flesh. Huge gobs of saliva poured out of its mouth as it opened and closed. It poured off its bottom lip and sprayed everywhere whenever it shut its mouth. A large, bright red, pointed tongue lapped around in its maw, constantly sticking out with barbaric intensity. It had no eyes, but Link could feel it looking at him, raking his innards with its touch. This thing was definitely hostile, and Link had breakfast written all over him.

What struck Link the hardest was why would a creature as abominable as this be thriving in the Kokiri Forest? Just looking at its salivating mouth made Link think about why the Kokiri were not outside. Was this the reason? It was most likely the cause of the Kokiri staying within their homes, for one step outside would come with a grave chance of being devoured by one of those things. Link could only ponder how they managed to cope wit these things.

Using the muscles in its stem, the think thrust at Link, its mouth a wide open hole for Link to be sucked into. Prepared for this, Link timed himself carefully and hammered its head with his moving shield, making it whine and get knocked back a little. Link quickly followed up with a lightning fast swing of his sword, cutting the air so fast that it made a rather distinguishable noise. The tip of his blade missed the creature by a few inches, unfortunately, and it looked hungrier than ever as it stared at him viciously.

"I told you we had to be careful!" yelled Sheik as he made his way around to the other side of the creature. The thing noticed him moving around and followed his movements closely, without taking an eye of Link though.

"I know you said that!" said Link, keeping his shield up as he watched the creature's movements. "Do you have any idea what this thing is?"

"It doesn't have a name!" shouted Navi, appearing out of Link's hat. "But its body functions just like an animal. If you strike its head, it will only get angrier. Go for the stem!"

The creature lunged at Sheik, who struck its head back with a quick swipe of his knife. "Does your fairy have any idea what she's talking about?" called Sheik as he brought his blade up by his forehead.

"Yeah! She has a knack for these kinds of things!" Link called back. "Just trust her!"

"Okay!" Sheik yelled back. "I'll distract it! You go for the stem!"

Sheik leapt up over the creature, striking it with his knife behind him, making the monster yelp in pain and swing its head around frantically, saliva flying everywhere. The beast, now being extremely violent, went for Sheik and Sheik only. It lunged at him again, only to be knocked back once more by Sheik's dagger. Thin ribbons of blood sprayed out of the spot where Sheik hit the monster, and it cried in pain as it poured down its face. Now was Link's chance. As the creature still had its head reared, he charged past it, and ran the edge of the Master Sword along its stalk. When he heard the creature screech, he thought he chopped it in two, but when he turned around he saw that he only cut a gash halfway through. The creature looked at him in fury, and launched itself at him. Not really thinking, Link back slashed his enemy where he had weakened it, driving the blade right through. Its head now dismembered and still in motion, it flew over him and landed in some tall grasses behind him, silent. The other half of the stem simply flailed about uncontrollably as blood and green liquid poured out of it. It slowly sunk into the ground, and didn't come out again.

Link got off his knees and shook the blood off the Master Sword. Sheik was brushing himself off as he approached him.

"A warrior always thinks before he acts," said Sheik. "You should've defended instead of attacked. That was too bold of a move to be considered wise. You could've gotten killed."

Link nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll be sure to think from now on."

"That's a good lad," said Sheik, smiling. "Although, your strength and speed have increased slightly since I last saw you in Ganondorf's stronghold. You have improved. I say you catch on quickly."

"A lot of people say that," said Link. "Don't let it go to your head. Sometimes I can be too stubborn for my own good," he suggested.

"I'll keep that in mind," said Sheik, nodding his head.

Link's facial expression suddenly changed, and looked at the blood of the monster cooling and sinking in the forest soil. His lips curled in and out frequently, his eyes never looking away from it. He followed the perimeter of the pool, observing where it stopped and where it continued to expand. His hands began to shake again; his right—the one that gripped his shield—did not stop squeezing the metal band that allowed him to hold it. His left hand, conversely, went completely limp, and the Master Sword slipped out of his fingers, plunging the tip of its blade into the forest's soft floor, remaining upright as it did when it was still in the Pedestal of Time. With his shield still latched on to his right forearm, Link collapsed to his knees, soaking the silky-white fabric that covered them in blood.

"What have I done?" he moaned, his head hanging over the life of the dead creature.

"Link!" shouted Sheik, alarmed. He rushed to his side, kneeling down beside him. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Link's jaw was quivering. He delicately ran the fingers of his free hand through the thick substance, bringing it along with it. He brought his hand up in front of his face, rubbing the blood in between the parts of his fingers where the skin was still exposed.

"Blood…" he muttered under his breath. He drew in breath through his teeth. "It never meant to touch this ground…it never meant to be shed within the sanctity of my home…"

Sheik leaned in closer. "You must forget the past, Link. Things have changed—you know that."

"Is this the work of the Forest Barrier?" asked Link almost immediately. "This insidious creature and its hate towards all things living?"

Sheik sighed. "Yes, Link. I was hoping you would realize that your home is not as it was. This is the nature of Ganondorf's power; I wish it didn't hit so close to home for the lack of a better word."

Link gripped some of the grass in his hand, painting it bright red. "Then he's done it for the last time. I will not rest until the Forest Guardian lies dead in the depths of his own domain." He looked up, staring at the tunnel they entered from. "He can obey his master, and he can have all the power he wants, but he can not harm my friends…" he pounded his fist into the ground, finally stopping his hands from shaking. The grass stopped swaying in the foul breeze, as if it had suddenly stopped blowing. "…and he can not harm my home," he growled. He slowly got up off the ground, Sheik getting up and backing away as he did so. Link puckered his lips, and blew out violently, twitching his head and refreshing himself.

"Link, look," said Navi, her classic repetitive line echoing in the back of Link's mind. Link turned around, towards the wide, hollowed out stumps of trees, each with their own boarded-up door. Each of them were opened up, some open a crack, some all the way. A bunch of tiny heads poked out of each and every one, looking at him, their eyes sparkling with bewilderment. They rarely blinked; they rarely moved—they didn't dare to. They weren't cheerful folk—they didn't laugh; they didn't even titter. Their eyes expressed curiousness, fear, desperation. They were all small, short; about half Link's height. Link was puzzled, but there was no mistaking them.

They were the Kokiri.

"Why are they…?" Link whispered to himself. Why were all of them still small? How, after seven years, had they remained children? He tried to assure himself that these were simply new Kokiri, but he couldn't once he saw a few members in particular. There were the twins, living in the same abode as usual. Their garden wasn't as full of crops as it was when he left. Maron, the smallest girl of the tribe, poked her head innocently out of the house furthest down. Her large eyes made up for her lack in size. Dasnel, one of the few males of the group, seemed less intrigued as everyone else. The only thing that interested him was food. Fraire, another female, once considering it her duty to protect the tribe from evil, leaned out of her window, moving her head around, trying to get a good look at the three outsiders.

Link didn't know why they all began to look at him now instead of when he entered the village. Perhaps is was when he killed that disgusting creature he may have provoked the Kokiri's attention. It didn't matter anyway, because Link was much more worried about why they were still kids why he alone was a young adult. The only thing that separating him from them was that he left the forest, and stayed away for a long time…

…away from the Forest Temple.

Link shot a quick glance at Sheik, and he slowly nodded, as if reading his mind.

"Is this…some kind of curse?" Link asked.

"It's a curse if I ever saw one," replied Sheik. "You are a Kokiri, right?"

"Right."

"So, basically, my hypothesis is that since you were not so proximate to the Forest Temple over the past seven years, this curse hasn't affected you, allowing you to grow up."

Link slowly turned his head, once again looking at the Kokiri in their houses. Almost simultaneously, they all popped back into their homes, their bunkers, their tombs; as if they were somewhat afraid of him. They probably mistook him as an outsider, since to their knowledge there was no way he was a Kokiri since he was obviously not proximate with the Forest Temple, and any Kokiri that left the forest would die—so they were told. Sighing glumly, he turned back to Sheik.

"I'd guess Saria is the same way."

Sheik nodded, a hint of empathy in his eyes. "A wise assumption. She would undoubtedly be no different than the others."

Link nodded and turned away, his lips curled. "…I was kind of…looking forward to seeing her as an adult."

"Look at it this way, Link," said Sheik sympathetically. "She could've been dead. The gods didn't have to choose her as the Sage of Forest, but they did. It is why she is still alive, despite being captured. The Forest Guardian would not dare remove her from the mortal world."

Link exhaled through his nose, smiled, and nodded. "Yeah, I guess she's lucky, isn't she?"

Suddenly, Link could swear he was hearing sobs from behind. It sounded like someone was crying, but her voice was too high-pitched to be a Kokiri. He pondered what it could possibly be as he turned around to see who it was. It was a fairy, sitting on a fallen log, with no Kokiri beside her. She had a strong, pink glow, and her wings were folded downward—a sign of distress. Link suddenly drew in his breath once he realized who it was.

It was Tamil, Saria's fairy. What was she doing here? The explanation of why she wasn't with her Kokiri was obvious, but Link was puzzled as to why she came here of all places. Maybe she was looking for Saria, but to no avail. That would probably be the reason she was crying.

"Hey…it's Tamil," said Navi. "What's…what's wrong with her?"

"Think about it for a second or two, Navi, and you might find out," said Link.

Navi paused to think for a moment, and then suddenly drew in breath. "Oh…yeah, that's right…"

"Would this Tamil be the forthcoming Sage's guardian fairy?" Sheik inquired, locking his gaze on the distant sprite.

"That would be her," Link answered. "To tell you the truth I'm fond of her." He quickly looked towards Navi. "Uh…well not as fond as I am Navi, of course."

"Oh, yes, of course," said Navi wryly.

His cheeks turning red, Link changed the subject. "Maybe we could talk to her; she might've seen something before they got Saria." He looked at Sheik. "Maybe that could give us a clue of where to start looking for the Forest Temple."

Sheik shrugged. "I don't see the harm in it. Although I fear Tamil's grief over the loss of the individual she made an oath to guide and protect could affect her response. Her memory could even be twisted slightly."

Sheik looked back at Tamil, the fairy's face buried in her hands, her tears so tiny they were almost invisible to the naked eye. "Trust me on this one," said Sheik. "I've seen a considerable amount of people in this state-of-mind." He looked seriously at Link. "Unlike you, I was in Hyrule during the aftermath of the attacks at Hyrule Castle."

Link nodded, understanding.

"And Link, if Tamil asks…" said Navi. "Don't mention anything to her. You aren't Link; that would make too many queries come up, and we want answers; not questions."

"She's right, Link," said Sheik. "If she remembers you, and sees you as an adult, she will be too confused to say anything that has anything to do with what we're looking for."

"Okay," said Link, tilting his head as he looked at Tamil. "I just won't say anything regarding my identity. Let's go."

The three approached the weeping fairy, barely even noticing that they were coming. She continued to sob into the palms of he hands, not wanting to let the world see her face in tears. Link could somewhat relate the feelings she must've been feeling right now. She made an oath to the Great Deku Tree himself to protect and guide Saria, even at the cost of her own life. She had failed to do this, and thus she must've felt such betrayal to the Deku Tree, even though he had long-since passed away by now. It reminded Link of when he swore to Zelda that he would protect her and save Hyrule. After he pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, he realized that he had failed in protecting Zelda from those horrible Stalfos, and now he didn't even know if she was alive. Even worse than that, instead of fulfilling his pledge to Zelda to save Hyrule, he had put it in the worst state it had ever been in.

Tamil slowed down her sobbing as the party's shadow was cast over her. She looked up, her eyes glowing a brighter pink than the rest of her body.

"Wh…who are you? Wh-what do you want?" she scurried back to the other side of the log. "No…don't hurt me! I didn't do anything! I…I…" Her hands were shaking; she was so afraid. She probably thought they were underlings of the Forest Guardian.

"Tamil! Tamil! Calm down!" said Navi as she landed beside her. She placed her tiny arms around Tamil's shoulders, trying to settle her down. "Tamil! It's me! It's me!"

Tamil slowly took her hands away from her face. Her eyes as wide as they could possibly expand, she stared at Navi in astonishment. "…Navi? Is that really you?"

"Yeah, I'm back," she said. "Are you okay?"

Tamil suddenly burst into tears again and buried her face into Navi's shoulder. "Oh, Navi! Saria's gone! She got taken away and it's all my fault!"

"I know…I know…" said Navi, trying to make Tamil stop crying. It was almost as if she had done stuff like this before with other fairies. Link wasn't even sure how old Navi was. She would've lived in the Fairies' Haven until the Deku Tree summoned her to be his partner. She must've had situations like this before she met Link.

Tamil suddenly looked up at Link and Sheik. She must've still been frightened of them. "Who…who are these people with you? Why are you with them? Why are they here?"

Navi paused for a minute. She couldn't tell Tamil who they really are, but she knew that Link liked to be referred to by his own name.

"Um…this is Link and Sheik. They are a few outsiders I found that have agreed to help rescue Saria."

Tamil perked up. She was so relieved when she found out that there were others who were going to help Saria, she didn't even recognize Link's name. Link at least hoped it was this; he didn't like the fact that his name didn't ring a bell.

"You…you're going to find Saria? Will she be okay?"

Sheik knelt calmly beside Tamil. His eyes were calm, as usual. "She'll be perfectly fine," he assured her. "Now, if we are going to find and rescue her, we are going to need some information. Is that okay?"

"Yes…" cried Tamil, shaking her head. She was desperate. "Yes, I'll tell you anything. I'll tell you everything I know. I just want her back…that's all…"

"Okay," Sheik replied. "You just have to be strong. I know it's hard."

Navi was holding Tamil as Sheik began to ask questions. It seemed to help her breathe normally again. Link didn't bother to say anything; he was afraid he might slip up some information he didn't want to say.

"Tell me, Tamil," Sheik began, keeping his tone of voice calm and controlled. "Where did you last see Saria?"

Tamil breathed for a moment. "Um…we were at her secret place…her special place where she likes to play her ocarina," she said with a quivering voice. "Um…it's in the Lost Woods. I fell asleep and…and when I woke up she was gone. No trace at all."

Sheik nodded slowly. "Okay," he said. "That's good. You're doing good."

Tamil began to cry a little bit more and leaned in towards Navi. "Oh, Navi, what if she's in pain? I'll never forgive myself…"

"She's fine, I can assure you," said Sheik. "You need not worry; she may be scared, but she is in no pain whatsoever. It's not her that they want, anyway."

Tamil looked up from Navi's little shoulder. "They…don't? What do they want then?"

Sheik nodded his head towards Link. "Him."

Tamil looked at Link, expecting him to do something. Link nodded. "Yeah. They want me."

She looked back at Sheik, now more concerned than distraught. "Well, what are we going to do?"

"What we are planning to do is to go to the Forest Temple, where your friend is most likely being held," Sheik explained. "If you would kindly tell us where this 'secret spot' is, then we would gladly bring her back to you unharmed."

Tamil suddenly burst out of Navi's grip and took off into the air, making everyone flinch. "No!" she yelled. She crossed her arms and hovered between the heads of Link and Sheik. "If you are going to rescue Saria, then I'm coming with you!"

"Tamil, no!" cried Navi as she took off the log as well, floating beside Tamil. "It's far too dangerous; you'll be putting yourself in danger. I can't let anything happen to you."

"I don't care!" Tamil snapped. "I'm not going to sit here, waiting for you to get her on your own."

"Please, Tamil," Navi begged. "You don't know what you are getting into. You will surely get killed if you get anywhere close to that thing!"

"I made an oath, Navi," said Tamil. "I swore to the very tree that lies dead in that meadow that I would protect Saria, no matter what the cost. I promised him that I would defend her, even if it meant sacrificing my own life."

Navi drew in breath, as if about so say something, but cut herself short; unable to think of anything to say. Tamil was right, after all.

"If that's what you wish," said Sheik. "Then we will not judge you. You may come along if that is your wish. If you wouldn't mind, it would be very helpful if you lead us to where you last saw Saria. It could lead us straight to the Forest Temple."

"Look no further!" came a voice from afar. The party turned to see a figure emerging out of the trees of the Lost Woods, on top of the somewhat steep hill. It was a Kokiri, judging by his green clothing and short height. He had a light step, and walked nonchalantly down the hill. Link's sense of danger went off the scale when two Moblins suddenly made their appearance behind him. They were both armed with long, cruel spears, and followed close behind the Kokiri, as if they were bodyguards of some sort. What was this? Some kind of trap? The Kokiri stopped beside a lone tree, the Moblins halting on either side of him, their snouts shaking every time they snorted—which was almost every time they breathed in.

Suddenly, Link realized that he could now get a good look at the Kokiri. There was something familiar about him. It was someone he knew as a child, that also happened to be a Kokiri. The shape of his body was ringing thousands of bells in his head, but he couldn't quite put his finger on who this particular Kokiri was. Even the sound of his voice sounded like something he heard every day when he was young.

Then it hit him. He was floored so hard that he had no idea exactly what was going on. This Kokiri was someone he knew all his life. This was someone who he was familiar with, and saw every day. This was impossible. He couldn't believe it.

It was him, as a child.

It was no wonder he recognized his voice too. Everything about this apparent illusion was perfectly accurate. Link recognized every part of himself, from the big features like his body shape, to the smallest detail like how often he blinked. It was like someone had studied him zealously in order to get everything right, but there was something about this thing that didn't seem quite right. It might've been the two ferocious Moblins on either side of him, and it could've also been the way he smiled. Link never smiled like that, and he wished this was some kind of flaw in its design, but he was leaning more towards that this was a cause of this thing's personality. It was as if it had scanned him a few days before he claimed the Master Sword, and was using his body as either some kind of disguise, or a way of grabbing his attention.

He got Link's attention all right.

This must've been some kind of trick being played by the Forest Guardian. These two Moblins would look like more of a threat than Link's young image, but that child in the centre seemed far more wicked than those hideous creatures, and had the expression of deep thinking apparent.

Sheik stepped forward, issuing a hand to keep Navi and Tamil back. Him, like Link, sensed immense danger as well.

"Who are you?" Link demanded. "What do you want?"

Young Link's expression suddenly bore a small frown. "Hm…that would depend," he said in a sinister voice not ever heard from the real Link. "Would you happen to be the prophesised Hero of Time?"

Link briefly glanced at Sheik, who gave him the go-ahead. He looked back at the younger version of himself. "Yes, I am. Now that I've introduced myself, maybe it would be appropriate to tell me exactly who you are?"

Young Link smiled. He looked amused by the real Link's formality. He closed his eyes briefly for a moment, and then opened them up again, wide. Link raised an eyebrow when he noticed that the other Link's pupils were gone. His eyes were now two pale, hollow, blue irises, barely having any gleam or shine at all. With this new pair of eyes, he looked almost inhuman, as if he were some kind of ghost, as spirit from beyond. The same pretentious grin on his face, he spoke, his voice still being shared with Link's.

"Then allow me to introduce myself," he said with a faint trace of a laugh. "I'm you."

Link snorted. "Drop the act," he commanded. "Please…I've seen barbaric monsters who were better liars than you."

The fake Link began to laugh, bearing his teeth for the first time within his smile. "Ha, ha! Just checking…only the Hero of Time could see through to his own self." He cleared his throat, his eyes seemingly aglow. "My name is Phantom. I am the guardian of the Forest Barrier."

In a burst of adrenaline and energy, Link let the Master Sword see light, taking it out of the darkness of its sheath. He held it menacingly at Phantom. Sheik, on the other hand, simply crossed his arms, remaining calm.

"You're the Forest Guardian?" inquired Link. Phantom looked at him, still smiling, and slowly nodded his head. "You are exactly the reason why I've come here. I've come to dispose of you and destroy the magic that prevents the Sage from being awakened."

Phantom frowned, seemingly disappointed. "That's it? That's all you have to say?"

He caught Link off guard. Now, Link was a little lost, confused on what to say. "Er…excuse me?"

Phantom's eyes widened. "Aren't you curious about why you see me this way? Doesn't it strike the slightest bit of shock in you?"

"I'm not as easily shocked these days."

"Well," said Phantom, stroking his chin with his thumb and index finger. "You should be well aware that I am what is known as a shape-shifter; one who has dared to venture this far to find me should be knowledgeable of my nature."

Link didn't take any risks of making this conversation seem friendly. Phantom remained his enemy, and his target. This was the one who kidnapped Saria and put his home and his people in danger. He wasn't going to give Phantom the wrong impression, or vice-versa.

"Yeah, I can see that," said Link.

"Do you recall…" said Phantom slyly. He looked at him with a titled head, searching for something. "Do you remember, a long time ago, you were trespassing in my part of the wood in search for the very same girl who you are trying to save now?"

Link did remember looking for Saria in the Lost Woods, the same day he encountered and killed King Dodongo.

"Yeah…" Link mumbled. "What are you getting at?"

Phantom's smile grew even wider, so wide that it almost intimidating in a sense. "What I'm getting at is quite simple. I'm sure you remember being driven out of the area by two giant, flaming eyes?"

Link nodded. "That was you, wasn't it?"

"Precisely."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, for one thing," Phantom began. "That was the only time I ever encountered you, hence…" he presented a hand towards his body. "This is the form I've taken."

Link's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Well, the thing is I can only take on the shapes of things that I have seen with my own two eyes—no pun intended—or an accurate portrait. I see more in paintings than I do in real life; therefore I've grown quite fond of Hylian artwork. I have a collection myself."

Link shook his head. "These explanations are irrelevant. You know why I'm here."

Phantom frowned again, his face once again serious. "I have the same goal, only it is towards you, Hero of Time."

"I would only guess," Link replied, getting ready for anything Phantom could pull out of his sleeve.

"It is for my own purposes, aside from those of the Great Ganondorf," said Phantom. "Unfortunately, this is beyond your understanding. By sacrificing you and your entire entourage to my master, I will undoubtedly be granted enough power to become one of the world's greatest single influences."

Link lowered his head as Phantom opened up his arms, one hand going in front of the lone tree he was previously leaning on.

"That at which point I will kill that girl, so she won't spread any information about me kidnapping her; the Great Ganondorf won't take too kindly to that. Once I obtain the ultimate rank, I will do as I please, and spread my control on every thing that my influence touches!"

Sheik, who had not moved or said anything during the past minute or so, stepped forward. He removed a cruel-looking knife from his waist belt with a jagged edge, and with a quick flick of his forearm, launched it at Phantom when he wasn't looking. It shot at him like a bullet, so fast that Link could barely see it. The extremely sharp blade pierced right through Phantom's hand, and into the thick bark of the tree which was right behind it. His hand was pinned to it, like a piece of paper nailed to a corkboard with a thumbtack. It impaled it with so much force, he almost stumbled back. Link winced at the sight somewhat, for it was pretty much him who was getting nailed to that tree.

The muscles in Phantom's hand contracted, forcing his fingers to curl. Blood collected around the point where the knife entered his flesh, and began to trickle down his palm, then either dripping off towards the ground or continuing to journey down his arm. He slowly turned his head towards his wounded hand, only now beginning to feel it. He stared at it for a moment or two, watching the blood ooze out of his hand. His jaw slowly dropped as his head began to twitch a little. He began to giggle a little bit, and it slowly transformed into a wild laugh. It was an odd laugh, however, since he wasn't smiling as he did so. He couldn't fake anything; he knew he was in too much pain to make it look like he didn't feel it. It was almost like he was panicking as he looked at it.

Before Phantom's hand was coated completely with blood, the Moblin to his left took action. He quickly reached over and grabbed the handle of the knife, and yanked it out of the tree, and out of Phantom's hand, causing the Forest Guardian to yelp as his flesh was torn even more. In a quick action, the Moblin through the knife back at Link's direction, blade pointed forward.

Link could've kissed his warrior instincts if they were a physical thing. His right arm almost automatically brought his shield up, causing the knife to deflect off of its metal surface. When he brought it down, he saw one of the Moblins escorting their whimpering leader back towards the Lost Woods, blood seeping through his other hand as he held the wound in agony.

"Stop!" Link yelled, ready to go for Phantom when he was crippled.

"Wait, Link! Not now!" Sheik commanded, putting his arm in front of him to stop him from foolishly charging at his enemy.

"Kill him!" screamed Phantom. "Kill him!"

The Moblin who wasn't with Phantom raised its spear high into the air, and roared barbarically. He pointed the tip of its weapon directly at Link, and began to charge, holding the spear by its waist. The ground shook as it pounded its feet into the ground, roaring manically, the single spikes on its golden shoulder armour glinting in the dim sunlight. Link wasn't going to be killed by a Moblin, especially when Phantom was right here. When the Moblin attempted to drive its spear right into Link's chest, Link drove all of his body weight into his shield and knocked the creature's weapon back. It still ran forward, even with its weapon not pointing at him; Link had to act fast. Not really thinking, Link slid under the Moblin's legs just as it ran over him, dragging the dangerously sharp edge of the Master Sword along the inside of its thigh. The Moblin roared as it limped to a stop, holding its leg in pain.

"Kill hiiiimm!" howled Phantom as he was once again sucked into the abyss of the Lost Woods.

The Moblin was stumbling around, trying to get the pain Link had inflicted out of his system. Link got to his feet and wasted no time in charging at it with its back turned to him. He raised the Master Sword up high as he ran, ready to strike at the Moblin's back, to create a mortal wound. However, Link's plans were foiled when the Moblin struck him in the chest with its arm, knocking Link off his feet momentarily. He landed and slid backwards on the ground, trying his best to hold onto his weapons. Before he even skidded to a stop, the Moblin was already approaching him, its spear pointing menacingly at Link. Link couldn't get up now, for that would put him off-guard. He remained lying down, shield raised up in defence. The Moblin stood by Link's feet, and began to thrust its spear downwards. Link rolled left, right, spread apart his legs, lifted up his head; anything that would get his body out of the way of the Moblin's spear as it furiously stabbed, only to hit the soil and not its target.

It grabbed its spear in two hands, and lifted it up over its head, the veins in its arm muscles throbbing, roaring at an ear-splitting decibel. Now was Link's chance. Before the Moblin could bring the head of the spear downward and through Link's body, Link quickly sat up and knifed it in the gut with the Master Sword. The wound glowed a bright blue as the sword's magic took affect on the evil creature. The Moblin dropped its weapon, and its body began shaking violently as the life was sucked out of it by the immense power of Link's weapon. It stood there, frozen, but consequentially alive. Link thought he had to keep the blade within the stomach of the Moblin until it died, but help was on the way.

Sheik, climbing up the back of the Moblin, mounted the creature on its shoulders, securing himself in place by wrapping his legs around its neck. A long knife was gripped in both of his hands, and was raised high above the Moblin's head. The Sheikah drove his arms downward, and the sharp metal pierced right through the Moblin's forehead. The creature didn't roar, or even have an obvious reaction to the blade. Blood simply gushed violently out of the wound, and down the face of the foul creature. Sheik swiftly removed the blade, and jumped off almost immediately. Link, now feeling quite confident, removed the Master Sword from the monster's abdomen, got to his feet, and quickly got out of the way.

The Moblin swayed around for a bit, not even knowing where it was or why it couldn't see anything. After a matter of five seconds, the creature went limp and collapsed face-first onto the cold ground.

Link caught his breath, and gave a nod of approval and thanks towards Sheik. Sheik did the same.

"You see, Tamil?" said Navi. "This is what you'll be going through, only ten times as worse. Are you absolutely sure you want do this?"

"I'm positive," said Tamil. "I don't care how much danger is along the way. I won't let someone else go through it for me; that's not why I am put on this earth for."

Navi sighed hopelessly. "Tamil…you're so stubborn sometimes…"

"We're going to have to hurry," said Sheik, looking off towards the Lost Woods.

"Yeah," Link replied. "If we don't go now, we'll lose track of Phantom and it will be a long time until we find the Forest Temple."

"Well what are we waiting for?" asked Tamil, with urgency in her eyes. "Why are we just standing here, talking about what will happen if we wait for too long when we're waiting right now?"

"She's right," said Navi. "Let's go, now."

"Right," said Sheik.

"Okay, let's go," said Link.

Without another word said and an expression made, the four headed towards the hill that led into the Lost Woods. Link gripped the Master Sword tightly in his hand, for that was the sword he would kill Phantom with, and it was the one reason—aside from him being alive—that the Forest Barrier would fall.


	24. Phantom Ganon

24

_Phantom Ganon_

_Malon carefully tucked in the sheets under the mattress, making sure she wasn't leaving any creases or folds on the surface; she'd only have to do it over again. Link didn't seem to have a habit of making his bed once he got up in the morning, but Malon didn't really expect him to anyway. After all, life must've been different in the forest, not that she really knew what that was like anyway. She ran her hand along the top of the bed briskly, flattening out any minor ripples the sheets had left._

_The top of the bed now perfectly smooth, Malon looked around the room for anything else to clean. She was thankful that Link didn't leave any mud tracks on the floor; he was probably courteous enough to wipe his feet before entering her house. It wasn't that she minded cleaning; she just didn't think of Link to be a really messy person, and he showed it here. Almost slightly disappointed by the lack of things to do, Malon headed out of the room._

_Thinking about Link all day always eventually led to thought about her father. He would be here today; she was sure of it. The only problem was she didn't know when. Every time she walked past a mirror, she took the time to make sure her hair looked just right. Every time she got some kind of stain on her dress, she was frantic to clean it off, and if unsuccessful, she would change her clothes. If anything, she just wanted to be immaculate for when Talon returned home after seven long years._

_She was worried though, since the last time she and her father laid eyes on each other, Malon was but a small child. Now that she was nearing adulthood, she could only wonder what her father would think when he saw her. She didn't even know if he would still have the same feelings for her as he did before the dark times—before Ganondorf. It was ironic that even though Link had saved the ranch from Mr. Ingo, the effects of the higher powers that gave him the estate still had their toll._

_It didn't matter; whatever Talon thought, that was what he thought, and that's what she was going to have to live with. She had already gone through so much that it would be a shame to let her father's mere expectations to get to her._

_She sat in the living room and got into a good book. She usually enjoyed fiction novels, but this time she read something that would expand her knowledge of the mysterious world she lived in. She picked up a hardback, written by a man named Iden Lazarus Fraser, entitled "The Blood Tear: A Study in Dark Magic"._

_The book was rather old, dating back to before Malon was even born. She even bore a smirk once she realized that dust was collecting on the cover and the pages. Blowing softly on its surface, clearing most of it off, she was able to see the cover more clearly. It was a simple grey background, on top of which was the title at the top, and an odd insignia as the centrepiece. It was a giant eye, with three diamond-shaped eyelashes, crying a huge tear of blood. It seemed as if this represented something, but Malon didn't have the slightest clue what. Perhaps if she read through, she may get a better understanding._

_Wild laughter was heard from beneath the floorboards. Malon raised an eyebrow and looked down on them, making sure it wasn't a small creature playing tricks on her. The insane laughter was halted by a large thud, making the ground joggle beneath Malon's feet. This dull sound was soon followed by some loud cursing. Malon laughed. Amentaris seemed to get abnormally excited when he looked over his maps, making up military scenarios and composing strategies. Whenever a brilliant one came up, he'd act like he had gone completely mad. This outburst of energy almost always resulted in Amentaris forgetting that the ceiling was rather low._

_Getting comfortable in her seat, Malon began to flip through the pages of the old book. Fraser's writing was complex, and used some terminology that she had never even heard of. As she read on, she wondered more and more where this book had come from, or even why it was in her collection of books. Although the author's account of his studies was somewhat hard to understand, Malon was getting the gist of what he was trying to say._

_He often referred to the mysterious race known as the Sheikah, who Malon knew perished in the Great War approximately seventeen years ago. According the Fraser, this is where the dark arts first emerged, when a single Hylian, thousands of years ago, began to study the more aggressive, darker sides of magic, to which were not practiced in those days. The trend spread, and the Hylians that honed these skills evolved away from those who didn't, and eventually became an entirely separate race: the Sheikah. Although their magic was fuelled by the power of evil and darkness, they used them for good, since magic is only as evil as the being that controls it._

_The book was written before the Great War, hence there was no information on the Sheikah's extinction, which disappointed Malon somewhat._

_Malon bit her lip once the book began to steer away from the detailed history of dark magic into actually how to learn and cast these spells. She felt that it was about time to close the book, but somehow she felt an urge to read on. Although she knew she couldn't perform magic, she was kind of interested. She turned the page over to how to cast dark magic._

_One knock, two knocks, three. The front door was banged repetitively and rapidly; someone was outside, seeing if anyone was home. Startled by the sudden noise, Malon jumped and accidentally dropped the book on the floor._

_It was her father. He had finally come home._

_Malon burst out of her seat and ran towards the entrance. She briskly rushed towards the door, but slowed down considerably once she got close; she didn't want to run face-first into the wood and embarrass herself. When she stopped, she took a deep breath. One last quick look in the mirror, and she almost immediately looked through the peephole to see her father for the first time in seven years._

_She gasped and stumbled back. That wasn't her father. There was no way that was him. When she looked at who was standing beyond the door, she did not see the warm, gentle face of her father, but a cold, tall and slender man, who stood as still as stone. She delicately brought two of her fingers up to her mouth, shaking. The man standing outside startled the daylights out of her, but he was still a visitor, and she could've at least opened the door for him. Her father was probably going to come a little later._

_Trying to get her body to stop shaking, Malon exhaled slowly and opened the door for the guest. Again, she was struck with this man's ominous shadow. He was like a crow, perched on a high tree, spreading its wings and blocking out the light of the sun. Just looking at him brought chills to her spine. He had a mask on, covering his entire head, including his face, eyes, nose and mouth. He didn't appear to be even breathing._

_He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. Malon couldn't bring herself to say anything to him, for it looked like he wanted something other than a brief tour of the ranch._

"_Your name, please," said the man. His voice seemed middle-aged, and to the extent that it sounded like it was burnt, and his vocal chords were blowing out of a thick layer of dense ash and embers._

_Malon was disgusted. "My name?" she said crossly. "You walk onto my property and the first thing you want is my name?"_

_The man looked at her again. She had no idea how he could see her underneath that metal that covered his entire head. "Your name, please."_

_She snorted. "Hey, are you listening to me? If you are going to come here, you could at least introduce yourself first. How rude!"_

_Malon thought she got to him, but the man still stood there, as silent and motionless as ever, his inky black trench coat blowing softly in the breeze. The way he stood there, his shoulders not even rising and falling from breathing, dispirited her to her bones._

"_Your name, please."_

"_My name is Malon, thank you very much!" she yelled. "Now, just who the hell are you!"_

_The man was silent once more, the only sound coming from him was the whisper of his coat as it was lifted gently into the air._

"_Allow me to introduce myself," he said calmly. "I am Lord Kanakana. I command the major military forces and operations of the Great Ganondorf's will."_

_Malon flinched. She was so stupid. She should've suspected in the first place who this guy was. The way he dressed and the way he stood there were dead giveaways of for whom he worked for. She had been rude to one of the most powerful men in Hyrule, and now she feared she was going to pay the price for it._

"_Oh…I…I'm sorry. I didn't…" she mumbled._

"_No need to apologize," said Kanakana in the same tone of voice as before. "There are many who do not know of me, and with good reason."_

_Malon began to look around nervously. "Um…can I make it up to you? Do you want to come inside?" She knew she shouldn't be doing this. She knew that a follower of Ganondorf was Link's enemy, and Link's enemy was her enemy. However, she thought it would be a lot better for Link if he didn't come back to the ranch and find Malon's cold body on the floor._

"_That won't be necessary," Kanakana replied. "I merely come to gather some information."_

"_Oh…" said Malon, bringing her hand up to her mouth. "Well…all right, then."_

_Kanakana began right away. "Our spies have been informing us that the Hero of Time, more commonly known as Link, had spent the night here. Is this correct?"_

_Malon bit her lip. She didn't know what to say. It was either she tell him the truth and let him know what Link had been up to, or lie to his face. From the looks of him, it didn't seem too possible to sneak anything by this man._

"_Tell the truth," Kanakana ordered._

_Malon hesitated. "Um…erm…" She winced painfully. "Yes. He was here last night." Her heart dropped to the bottom of her chest. The guilt swam through her like a school of fish trying to fight the current in a rushing river._

_Kanakana tilted his head back. "Ah. Now, is he planning on returning?"_

_Malon took a step back. "Why? What are you planning on doing to him!"_

"_It's nothing to worry about," said Kanakana as he began to reach down into one of his pockets. He removed a small letter in an envelope and handed it to Malon. "If he ever returns here, please give this to him. It is imperative that he receives it."_

_Malon looked curiously at the letter. It was blank, no address, no indication of whom it was from or who it was intended for. The paper was cold, a dreadful frostiness that sunk through her skin. She was worried about this. The book she just read had brief footnotes of dark magical incantations that could be scribed to a piece of parchment, where the reader would fall victim to a horrible curse that caused the body to slowly wither away and eventually die._

"_I'm sorry," Malon apologized. "But what is this letter? Is it a message from Ganondorf or something?"_

"_No," said Kanakana almost hastily. "It is a note from myself, and it is vital that the Great Ganondorf is unaware of my actions, and that goes the same with everyone else on my side of the court."_

_The man briskly turned and walked away from Malon. He appeared to be leaving, but Malon had one more question._

"_Wait!" she cried out. Kanakana turned around. "Why don't you want anyone to know?"_

_Kanakana gave her a serious look–that is, if you could call it a look. "Let's just say that Lord Ganondorf wouldn't take too kindly to what I'm doing. Let's leave it at that."

* * *

_

Grass. Moss. Tree. Log. Stump. Bush. Tree. Grass. Tree. Moss. Log. Tree.

These things were blurs to him. They bent and twisted out of proportion as he tore past them, faster than he knew he could run. The Master Sword was gripped tightly in his left hand, his shield attached firmly on his right forearm. He bounded from tree to tree like a ninja, Sheik following closely behind. Oddly, there was a lack of monsters that came after them. The odd Moblin would pop out of the bushes, but they were usually taken care of quickly. Link suffered some minor scrapes and cuts from their deadly spears, but they were nothing too serious. Sheik seemed virtually unharmed, but Link couldn't really tell since they were both running so fast. Every minute or so, he caught a glimpse of Phantom not too far up ahead, still wounded and whimpering from the impalement of Sheik's knife. He was going to catch up to that monster, and he was going to kill him with every last bit of strength he had remaining.

Phantom would not get away with what he had done to Saria. He would not get away for putting that curse on the Kokiri tribe, preventing them from becoming adults. Now that he was running away like a coward, Link had no pity over him whatsoever. He sent only his minions after him, but Link was going to make sure that Phantom would be forced to face him himself. If Link was going to destroy the Guardian of Forest, he was going to do it with his own hands; not someone else's.

As Link and Sheik continued to pursue Phantom into the depths of the Lost Woods, it began to get dark. The combined light of Navi and Tamil helped slightly, but Link still couldn't see any more than five feet in front of him. However, if he continued to follow the whinging of Phantom, he was surely going to lead them to the Forest Temple. That's where he was going to catch up to him and strike him down.

As quickly as light became dark, dark became light again. The four companions burst out into a large clearing, the sudden sunlight almost blinding them. They immediately caught a glimpse of Phantom limping toward a large, stone building that stood prominently at the other side of the defoliated area.

The front of the building was somewhat tall, approximately two stories high. Its intricate construction in the alignment of its bricks was magnificent. The wall was almost ominous as it cast its distinctive shadow over the ground. Everything around it moved; the animals carrying out their daily lives, and the trees swaying in the wind. This large structure was the only thing that didn't budge. The apparent entrance to the building was on the second floor, in front of a small balcony supported by old, cracked stone pillars. Vines grew up these pillars, and all around the platform as well. At the end of the veranda, there appeared to be two or three steps that went downward, but stopped long before they touched the ground, as if they had been shattered, denying anyone admittance to this place.

When he looked beyond the looming stone structure, he noticed that a large dome protruded from behind it. He assumed that this was also part of the same building. The dome was a pale green, but Link could not judge how big it was since he didn't know how far away it was. There were no windows in this part of the structure, disallowing any light to enter.

Link had found it. He had successfully located the Forest Temple.

Link picked up his speed. He needed to take out Phantom before he reached his sanctuary. The Forest Guardian seemed to be slowing down as he drew near to his lair, possibly feeling that he was becoming safe from the attackers behind him. Link held his sword back, ready to jam it right through Phantom's back. He only hoped that that the fact Phantom was appearing as a younger Link didn't make him hesitate. Navi clung onto Link's hat, since she was having a hard time keeping up with him at this pace. Sheik didn't seem to be having any problems, but that was to be expected judging by his evident experience in battle.

Link could feel his rage flowing into his arm, causing its muscles to twitch. He squeezed the Master Sword's hilt, almost crushing it. The sword felt like it was vibrating, reacting to Phantom's evil heart.

The Forest Guardian looked back at the party, fear in his eyes. He sped up slightly, but the pain in his hand was draining his energy pretty fast. Link couldn't help but grin. This was an ironic situation when he thought of Phantom's arrogant persona. As his enemy grew ever closer to the entrance of the Forest Temple, Link's aggression and adrenaline flowed through his body more violently.

Phantom was almost crawling as he reached for the shattered stairs, just beyond his reach. Link knew this was it. There was no escape for the fiend now. Phantom stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around. Link lifted up his sword, and struck downward with all his might.

Unfortunately, Link had overlooked the fact that Phantom was still armed with a charade of Link's old Deku Shield. Splinters of wood sprayed out of where Link had struck it, but it remained intact. Phantom's facial expression changed from fear to aggression, smugness, and maybe even disappointment.

Link's younger self clenched a fist and rammed it into the real Link's stomach. The pain quickly spread through his body, shaking his ribs and making his eyes quiver in their sockets. He coughed and wheezed as he stumbled back, eventually falling to his knees, holding his abdomen in pain.

Wincing from Phantom's blow, he looked up to see Sheik making his move. Another knife was gripped in his hand, ready to shed blood. He leapt up and attempted to thrust the sharp metal through Phantom's skull. Again, things backfired. Phantom deflected Sheik's knife with his shield, Sheik scrambling to get behind him to attempt a counter attack. Phantom, on the other hand, was quicker. He smashed his foot into Sheik's back, sending the helpless Sheikah flying. Link's partner landed glaringly on his chin a few feet away. He immediately tried to lift himself off the ground, but fell back down as the pain shattered up his spine.

Link couldn't understand this. For one moment, Phantom was limping away helplessly, his hand wounded. The next, he turns around and takes out both of them in seconds. Link wouldn't stand for it. He wasn't about to be humiliated just yet.

Summoning a vast amount of energy, he got to his feet and tried again. A smile was clearly visible on Phantom's face as Link rushed him. Link ruthlessly swung the Master Sword horizontally at the Forest Guardian's neck, but missed by mere inches. Bringing up the Deku Shield, Phantom dove at Link's chest, ramming him with all of his body weight. Link was caught off guard, and found himself stumbling back again. His eyes widened once he saw a brief flash of razor-sharp steel. As he fell back, he moved his head sharply to the right, letting only the tip of the fake Kokiri Sword scrape across his cheek. The sharp sting of the cut caused Link to cover it up with his shield hand, just before he landed hard on the ground. He thought that Phantom was going to finish him off, but instead when Link opened his eyes he found the fiend walking calmly towards to Forest Temple.

The cut Phantom had inflicted was preventing him from getting up, so Link turned over in a desperate hope to see Sheik getting up and going for another go. However, Link's heart sunk as he only saw Sheik on all fours, falling over occasionally as he held his back in agony.

Link, now feeling completely vulnerable and unable to get up as well, could only watch as Phantom casually approached the yawning entrance to the Forest Temple. He paused momentarily once he was right under the shadow of the ruined staircase, and then hurdled himself an incredible height, landing safely on the terrace above. He slowly turned his head to the falling warriors, his wicked grin attacking Link like a shower of golden needles. The blood still dripping off the ends of his fingers, he turned and was consumed by the darkness of the Forest Temple.

They remained there for a few minutes. Link was sitting on the grass, and Sheik was kneeling down, his head low, trying to pull together his strength. Navi was comforting Tamil, who was seemingly once again traumatized by the whole ordeal. Perhaps she didn't expect the fear that would strike her when they lost a fight, rather than winning one which was the case with the Moblin earlier. She repeatedly asked if they were okay, usually responded with either Link nodding or shrugging, or Sheik responding with a weak "yes". This was probably a wake-up call to her, for she was now realizing that there was never a 100 chance of victory.

Link was learning things too. He took the advice given to him too lightly. He was told that Phantom tended to be a deceiver, but he only thought of it as the fact that he could change his shape. He didn't really consider that he was faking the whole thing about his hand being in pain. He walked right into his trap, and not only Link paid for it, but Sheik additionally. It was a sad fact, but Link had to think of it was a lesson. The next time he faced Phantom, he wasn't going to get so cocky.

After a while, both Link and Sheik regained their energy around the same time. They both stood up, but still felt an ache, nonetheless. Sheik approached him, but didn't say anything right away. Similarly, Link was silent.

He stopped in front of Link, looking into his eyes with concern.

"Well, I suppose that didn't go as planned," Sheik sighed.

Link shook his head. "No, I guess not."

Sheik nodded and turned his head away. "Don't worry about it. You can overcome him; I know you can."

Link's eyes narrowed. "Overcome him? How do you know that? He just beat the snot out of me!"

Sheik laughed to himself as he turned back to Link. "I can tell, trust me. First, you got ostentatious, and he managed to catch you off guard. The same went for me. The second time around, you were injured and your rage blinded you, allowing him for an easy advantage."

Link sighed. "All right. But when I get to him, I don't know if I'll still be able to hold back my anger."

Sheik stopped smiling. "I know." He crossed his arms. "When it comes down to it, holding back rage is one of the hardest aspects of fighting, especially when it's personal."

"Well, what should I do?" asked Link.

Sheik's eyes began to wander, blinking occasionally. "To be honest, there isn't really anything. It takes a lot of experience, practice, patience, and discipline in order to restrain anger on command." He fixed Link with a serious gaze. "You just have to try your best. If rage takes over, remember to never let your guard down. In most cases, defence is much more important than offence."

Link exhaled. "All right. I guess I have a long way to go, then."

Sheik shook his head. "Long way to go where?"

"To become a great warrior."

"No one can become a great warrior."

"How come?"

Sheik blinked. "Some combatants can exceed the skills of others, but even the best of the best still have room for improvement. There is an endless road when it comes to fortifying your technique. In that sense, no fighter can ever become great, because they haven't reached their full potential. On top of that, that full potential can never be reached, for it doesn't exist."

Link stroked his chin, nodding. "Hm…you could be right. Thanks, Sheik. That makes me feel better."

Sheik smiled. "No problem." The young Sheikah began to reach under his shirt, fumbling around for something. "Now…I've been keeping this back for you," he mumbled. His hand emerged, holding a strange object.

"What is it?" Link inquired.

"This is called a hookshot," Sheik replied. "Is should come in handy for you."

The instrument was indeed odd, unlike anything Link had ever seen. It was blue, shaped somewhat like a cylinder, and about the length of his forearm. It had a metal handle at one end with a wooden grip, along with a large trigger in front of it. On the main body of the hookshot, there was a fairly large groove where a long chain was wrapped around. This half of the cylinder looked like it could spin, but for a purpose Link knew not of. At the other end of it, there was a large arrowhead, even bigger than that of a spear. Link could only wonder what this massive thing was intended to do. Link assumed it was some kind of weapon.

"It is not ideal for use in combat," said Sheik. Link flinched when he realized he was just thinking about the same subject.

"Where…how did you get your hands on something like this?" Link asked.

"There was a rather bright inventor that I met in Kakariko a few years back," Sheik replied. "This was one of his many inventions, and as a token of our friendship, he entrusted it to me."

"Really?" said Link. "What was his name?"

"Dampé," Sheik replied. "He was also the keeper of the Kakariko graveyard."

"Kakariko Village also has a graveyard?" asked Link.

Sheik nodded. "Yes. It is dedicated to my folk, the Sheikah. The remnants of my tribe, who valiantly gave their lives in the final battle of the Great War, are buried there, along with the tomb of the Royal Family, where all of the previous kings and queens rest."

"I'm sorry," said Link, courteously.

"I was saddened to hear that Dampé passed away a few years ago. He is also buried there, along with the graves he tended to."

"That's too bad," said Link. "I would've liked to meet him."

Sheik nodded. "He probably would've liked you. Anyway, we're wasting too much too much time here. Let me show you how to use this."

"Oh, all right then," said Link.

"Okay, first of all, grab it by the handle," Sheik instructed.

Link found the wooden grip of the hookshot, and carefully grabbed it, his fingers resting lightly on the trigger.

"Now, you've probably realized by now that accessing the temple is impossible because the stairs have been removed, correct?" said Sheik.

"Right."

"Well, this is where the hookshot comes in," he said. He pointed towards the spearhead on the hookshot. "You see this?"

"Yes."

Sheik pointed towards a tree, which happened to have a large branch hanging over the balcony of the structure. "You see that branch?"

"Yeah."

"I want you to aim that large arrowhead at that branch."

Link, with the hookshot in one hand, lined up the spearhead with the tree. He shut one eye to get a better perspective as he carefully aimed.

"Good," said Sheik. "Now, press down the trigger but don't let go of it until I say so, okay?"

"Sure thing," said Link. With a moment of hesitation, he squeezed the trigger. The hookshot jolted as a loud clank was heard from inside the cylinder, but nothing else happened.

"The hookshot has a spring-loaded chain," Sheik explained. "By pressing down the trigger, you pulled the coil back."

Link nodded. "Okay."

"Now," said Sheik. "When you release the trigger, the spring will go back. Aim steady."

Link's lips curled, and he made sure that the tip of the spearhead was still lined up with the tree branch. He let go of the trigger, and the hookshot jolted more violently than before. The spearhead flew out of the cylinder like lightning, bringing the chain along with it. The top half of the cylinder spun like mad as the chain was pulled out of the groove and out the end. The spearhead made contact with the tree branch, and imbedded itself deep within the bark. The chain gained some slack once the arrowhead stopped moving.

"Very nice," Sheik complimented. "Press and release the trigger again. Hang on tight, and don't let go, understand?"

Link looked at Sheik. "Don't let go?"

Sheik smiled. "You'll see."

Link looked across the hookshot's chain, now stuck in the tree branch, nervously. He pulled the trigger, and the same clank and jolt occurred. He noticed that Sheik was watching him intently, and judging by where he was instructed to fire the hookshot, he began to slowly realize what was going to happen.

He closed his eyes and released the trigger, but did not dare let go. The chain was reeled back into the hookshot relentlessly, and it wasn't going to let Link stop it from bringing the whole thing back. With a huge amount of energy, Link was lifted off his feet, and travelled with the hookshot towards the tree branch. Link screamed in terror as he flew higher and higher off the ground, and closer towards the tree. The cylinder eventually made contact to the part of the spearhead that protruded out of the branch, causing Link to swing under it, and ultimately rip the spike out of the bark, making him drop. He landed on the balcony, hard on his knees.

Out of relief, Link fell on his stomach, and began to catch his breath. He ignored Sheik's wild laughter in the background as he attempted to recollect himself. He got to his knees, and was eventually standing. His legs were still shaking out of the whole experience, however.

"Well, do you get it now?" asked Sheik.

Link turned around to see Sheik standing right behind him, on the balcony as well. "Sheik…how did you–?"

"Never mind that," Sheik interrupted. "The important thing is you know what it's for."

Link looked at the hookshot. "Yeah, but I'm uncertain if I want to use it again."

Sheik laughed. "Don't worry about it. You'll be thankful one day, trust me." He handed Link a strange piece of leather. "Here's a holster for it. Just attach it to your belt, and the handle of the hookshot will rest on the other end, which you can button and unbutton at any time."

As Link began to attach the hookshot to his waist, a loud roar was heard from beyond the trees of the Lost Woods. The bellow was soon followed by the sound of hundreds of pounding footsteps, drawing nearer.

"Moblins," said Sheik. "We have to hurry, or they'll catch up to us; they know we're here."

Link finished fastening the hookshot in place. "Okay. Let's go. I don't want to see any more of those things."

"What…what if they do catch up to us?" asked Tamil, hovering close to Sheik's head, accompanied by Navi.

"We'll think of something," Navi assured her. "Or at least Link will do something stupid and miraculously save the day."

Tamil looked at Link. Her eyes seemed curious. "Link…I'm sorry, but…I don't know. Your name sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere before. Have we…met before?"

Sheik gave Link an urgent look, encouraging him to say something. Link thought frantically of something to say. He couldn't tell Tamil that he was the Kokiri that left the forest seven years ago.

"Never mind that now! We have to get inside! You two fairies need to light the way; it looks really dark in there!" Link finally said.

"Oh!" said Tamil. "Right! Okay. We'll go ahead then."

Navi and Tamil flew over Link's shoulder and through the entrance to the temple. Link turned around and began to follow Navi's blue glow and Tamil's pink radiance. Just as Sheik began to follow, Link already found himself in the Forest Temple. It appeared that at the entrance it was a series of small, narrow corridors. Their footsteps echoed down the hallways, as there was no other sound to muffle them. Foliage poked out of the stone bricks that made up these halls, and roots drooped down from the ceiling. This place was old; very old. As they ran through, Link naturally imagined what this place looked like when it was first built. It must've been magnificent. He could picture the walls beautifully alit with torches, letting the remarkably well-crafted walls show off their splendour. He wondered how the temple was respected back in the day. He wondered if it was simply a place built by the ancient Sage of Forest to maintain the providence of the area, or if ancient peoples came here regularly to worship the spirits of the forest.

Sadly, being inside this place reminded him of Kaepora Gaebora, since in his life as a Sage, he built this place. He was reminded of the owl's tragic death at the gates of Hyrule Castle Town on the day of the attack.

They turned around another corner to see a pale blue light. The first thing that hit Link's mind was that this must've been the opening to the main part of the Temple, where Phantom was surely waiting for them. However, Sheik seemed to think otherwise. He blocked Link's path with his arm.

"Stop!" he whispered. The two fairies went ahead slightly ahead, but then turned around, not wanting to venture further without the protection provided by Link and Sheik. They began to back up around the corner again, and pretty soon Link found himself kneeling behind Sheik, who was occasionally looking around the bend.

"What is it?" said Link.

Sheik's eyes narrowed. "Blue Bubbles," he responded. "Just down the hallway."

"Blue Bubbles?" Link asked. "What could be so bad about a stupid bubble?"

Navi growled. "Not that kind of bubble."

"Huh?" said Link. "What? Is there another kind?"

Sheik turned briefly to Navi. "Enlighten him," he said as he nodded. "You seem to know much about the many creatures that roam Hyrule."

Navi nodded appreciatively towards Sheik. She turned to Link. "Blue Bubbles are creatures, not the round things that you can pop in the air."

"Oh?"

"I'm not sure how they got their name," said Navi. "All I know is that they tend to like dark areas, with little to no moisture."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Navi, I've been wondering…"

Navi's eyes widened. "Oh. What is it?"

"If you spent most of your life in Kokiri Forest, how come you know all about these monsters that you never see there? You even know where they are most likely found."

"We spend a lot of time in the Fairy's Haven before we are assigned a Kokiri," said Tamil. "During that time, we study up if you will."

Link blinked. "Why would you spend all that time learning about these things?"

"I guess we're expected to be ready for anything," said Navi, shrugging. "You know, just in case."

Link thought for a moment. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would the Deku Tree require that you fairies need to become encyclopaedias of every life form known?"

Navi and Tamil paused. "…I thought we just explained that," mumbled Navi.

"Why would he want that when no monsters ever entered the forest? The Forbidden Forest acted as a barrier, dissuading those from the outside and maintaining the balance of the world, right?"

The two fairies were silent. They both stared at Link with bewilderment, but also a slight realization. They too, like Link, were now wondering what the Great Deku Tree was really doing during his own lifetime.

"If he…if he wanted us to know about all of those monsters…" muttered Tamil.

"…then the Deku Tree…he must've…" said Navi.

"He must've known what was going to happen," said Link. "He saw the future, the Great Deku Tree. He saw what was to become of Hyrule. He saw what was going to happen to the forest." Link's trail of thought went on and on. "He even knew that my own actions would bring Hyrule to its knees, but yet he didn't _do_ anything about it. He told me exactly where I was supposed to go, even if it were to trigger Hyrule's downfall. Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he tell _anyone_? Who's side was he on?"

Tamil stared blankly at Link. Link looked back at her oddly, but it only took a few moments for him to realize what he had just said. He had revealed to her that he knew the Great Deku Tree personally, and a person like that could only be a Kokiri. Tamil looked at him with eyes that reflected a solitary shade of pink.

"Link…" she whispered. "…I remember you…"

Navi turned her head sharply towards Tamil, and even Sheik averted his gaze from the two Blue Bubbles down the hall. Link simply continued to stare at the sprite, trying to think of something to say but coming up with nothing. He tried to think of something to do but couldn't do anything. He simply swallowed and tried to keep his heart from sinking any further. He wanted to look away from Tamil, but her fixed stare kept his eyes from moving almost like a magnet.

"Link…it's no wonder I recognized your name," she said. "You're that little Kokiri from so many years ago. You were Saria's friend." Tamil looked at Navi. "And Navi, I remember that you were instructed to be Link's temporary guardian."

"Wait…I…I…" Navi stuttered.

"Well, there's no use hiding it now," said Link. "I guess you remember me, don't you Tamil?"

Tamil nodded. "But…how…Link, you're an adult! How…how is that even possible?"

"Navi and I left the forest," answered Link. "We were far away from the Forest Temple, therefore we didn't feel the effects of the curse."

"Curse?" asked Tamil? "What curse?"

It took some time, but Link and Navi calmly explained to Tamil what had been going on the past few years. They told her about their original adventure and how it backfired, and their current mission. They talked about the true nature of the Five Temples, but didn't mention the Sages, let alone Saria being one. They simply said by killing Phantom they would shut off the magic flow that poisoned the land, and also produced the curse on the Kokiri.

"I see," said Tamil finally. "So…is that why the Kokiri never grew up?"

"That's right," said Link. "Right, Sheik?"

Sheik continued to look down the hallway, keenly spying on the enemies. All that came out of his veiled mouth was a grunt, not really answering in the negative or affirmative. Link was puzzled, since Sheik usually came up with a straight answer when asked a question.

"Uh…yeah," said Link. "Anyway, I'm sorry to bring this on you so soon. It's kind of a bad time for this stuff."

"Oh…no…I appreciate it," said Tamil weakly. "At least this answers a few things."

Tamil wasn't really appearing to be sincere, but Link understood her feelings. Link had abandoned his home for seven years, and now hid his identity from everyone, and only had to reveal it because he opened his big mouth. He knew Tamil didn't take too kindly to this, but she couldn't lash out on him. After all, he was assisting in Saria's rescue, and that was all she cared about right now. She would have time to scold Link later.

"Link," said Sheik, nodding his head towards the passageway. "Come look."

Link strafed over towards Sheik, keeping his back pressed against the wall. He tried to make as little noise as possible as he moved, but he was afraid he had already made enough noise after talking with Tamil for the past few minutes.

"What is it?" Link whispered.

"I just want you to look at the enemies down the hall. You should have a clear view," said Sheik. He still did not look away from them.

Link carefully poked his head around the corner, causing Sheik to lean back slightly in order to give him room. He looked down the hallway, and sure enough he saw the Blue Bubbles quite clearly.

They were indeed odd, and probably more abstract than anything else Link had encountered so far. The first thing noticed was that they were airborne and floated around aimlessly. They had no legs, no arms, and no torsos. They were just heads, with wings. Their heads looked frighteningly like human skulls, their eye sockets completely empty save for an eerie red glow. Their mandible bones opened and closed constantly but they never made a sound. One wing protruded out of each temple, shaped very similar to those of a bat, midnight blue. They flapped constantly but unevenly, causing the Blue Bubble's skull to tilt from side to side uncontrollably. The most distinctive thing about these things was the otherworldly blue fire that burned from their chin up. It consumed their entire body, but it didn't even seem liked they noticed that it was there. This was what was causing the creepy blue light in the hallway, and was also most likely where part of their name came from.

"What do you suppose we do?" asked Link, still looking at the Blue Bubbles.

Sheik looked at Link. "What else? Get rid of them."

"Isn't that a little drastic?" said Link.

"Do you have any better ideas?"

Sheik stood up, brushing off his knees of the thick dust that covered the temple floor.

"Well, how do you suppose we kill them?" asked Link, turning his head to look up at Sheik.

Sheik crossed his arms. "Well, I'm sure they'll can die just as every other thing out there, don't you think?"

"Really?" said Link, looking back down the hallway. "They look a lot different from everything else we've fought."

"Looks can be deceiving," Sheik replied. "They aren't anything to worry about, save for one thing."

"And what is that?"

Sheik looked at Link seriously. "Don't let their flames lick your skin. Rumour has it that if they touch you, you will be cursed until you grow old."

"Cursed?" said Link.

Sheik nodded. "None remain who know the true effects of the curse, but it won't matter as long as we take them out quickly."

"Right," Link said. "Take them out quickly, don't touch them. Got it."

"Don't worry about it," Sheik encouraged him. "Blue Bubble's aren't wont to touch pure ones, anyway."

Sheik withdrew his knife, reflecting the enemies' blue glow, making it seem even brighter. Link did the same with the Master Sword, but the blade already sported a subtle blue glow of its own in the dark. Not a word said or a signal made, Sheik turned and ran towards the two enemies. Link was a little late, but he began running as well.

The two Blue Bubbles turned themselves towards the Kokiri and Sheikah charging towards them. They seemed almost gleeful as Sheik and Link ran towards them, almost as if they were hoping for some action. The Blue Bubbles floated towards them as well.

"Muh…muh…muh…muh…"

That infernal sound oozed out of their mouths, and didn't stop.

"Muh…muh…muh…muh…"

It was hard to ignore, for the curse that Sheik mentioned was sticking in Link's mind as he ran towards his opponents.

"Muuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh!"

"Shut up!" roared Link as he nailed a good clean swing on the forehead of the closest one. He felt the pieces of its skull chip out of the area where he had made contact, and even heard them hitting the ground. The Blue Bubble began flailing around frantically, but Link could not confirm if it was from pain or not. He quickly slashed it horizontally, cutting its jawbone clean off.

"Muhhrrr…" growled the Blue Bubble as the other half of its head plummeted towards the ground, now completely consumed in its own flames.

Link turned to see Sheik in a defensive stance, keeping his footing intact as the other Blue Bubble hovered closer and closer to him.

"Be gone!" yelled Sheik, thrusting his knife into the skull of his foe. The Blue Bubble, now unable to move, thrashed around violently as it realized that it was stuck against the metal of Sheik's knife. Sheik tossed the helpless enemy onto the ground, extinguishing its flames. It flopped around on the ground helplessly like a fish out of water. The young Sheikah swiftly put the thing out of its misery by stomping on its skull once, shattering it to pieces.

Sheik calmly looked at Link. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"I suppose not," said Link, sliding the Master Sword back into its scabbard. "Still though, it's not like we're done here or anything.

Sheik shook his head. "No, far from it. We still have a ways to go."

"Then we shouldn't waste any time. Saria is waiting for us."

"Exactly," said Tamil as she and Navi caught up to the two. "We're going to have to hurry. Who knows what Phantom could do to her if we let him get away?"

"Well hang on," said Sheik impatiently, holding a hand up to halt the other three. "We can't just arrogantly spring forward all the time. We have to think every once in a while, you know?"

Navi screamed. "Look! Behind us!"

The other three turned around to see a group of Moblins coming around the corner they were hiding behind just a minute ago. One of them peered down the hallway and pointed towards the party.

"There they are!" it roared. "Seize them! They are trying to kill Lord Phantom!"

The hoard of Moblins began rushing down the hallway, eager to get their hands on Link and his company.

"Damn it," said Sheik. "I forgot about them. Okay, scratch the planning! Run!"

Link said nothing. He spun on his heels and took down the corridor, the sound of the many footsteps perusing him filling him with adrenaline. He only hoped he wasn't blocked by any more foes along the way, in which case he would be doomed. Link and Sheik could take on the odd Moblin, but the dozen or so running after them proved more than a match. Corner after corner, Link ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Twigs and vines that poked out of the walls and hung from the ceiling occasionally swatted him in the face, for they were seemingly invisible to him with the lack of light and the speed at which they were running. He ignored the scratches and cuts that they made, concentrating on progressing forward. He would expect trained soldiers such as the Moblins would be able to keep up with them, but they surprisingly fell behind quite quickly. It was encouraging, but it didn't make Link run any faster. It was inevitable that he was going to get tired, so he prayed that they would find a way to outsmart the following Moblins instead of just outrunning them.

Eventually they came around another bend and found something. There was a steel, rusty gate, which seemed to be opened. It was hard to make out what was beyond it.

"That's it!" said Sheik. "That's the entrance to the main part of the temple!"

"How do you know?" asked Link, trying to keep running.

"Trust me!" Sheik yelled, occasionally looking behind him. "That gate shouldn't usually be open! Phantom must've unlocked it when he went inside!"

Link tilted his head around, seeing that the Moblins had fallen so far behind that he could not see them. He could still feel their presence thought, and it was only a matter of time until they turned that corner.

"I hope you're right about this!" called Link, picking up the pace a little.

"You go first!" yelled Sheik. "I'll make sure nothing gets inside with us!"

"How are you going to do that?"

"Simple! I'll just shut the gate so they can't get through!"

Link really did hope that Sheik knew what he was doing. He trusted him though, for he had proven himself really helpful so far.

Link bounded through the gate, and was now on the other side, in a large, black room. He turned around, wanting to make sure Sheik was safely inside with him, locking the gate behind him.

However, Sheik did not do what Link expected. When he reached the gate, he stopped abruptly, grabbed the gate, and slammed it shut with brute force with him still outside.

"Sheik!" cried Link, running up to the steel grate of the door. "What are you doing!"

By the time Link slammed up against the entrance, Sheik was already securing the lock, locking himself outside.

"Sheik!" Link screamed. "No!"

"Don't worry about me, Link!" called Sheik, only looking into Link's eyes briefly. "You're the one who needs to defeat Phantom!"

"What? I can't! I need your help!" Link cried desperately.

"And you're getting all the help I can offer you!" roared Sheik, acting almost irritated.

Link stumbled back, shocked and confused. Sheik had never been really aggressive to him before, but now he was suddenly acting strangely. Link couldn't really think at the moment, now that he felt helpless without Sheik by his side.

"Sheik…" Link mumbled. "Why are you doing this?"

"For your own good," Sheik replied. "You are going to travel across Hyrule, and you are going to break every one of the seals and eventually defeat Ganondorf. However, you are not going to do it with me holding your hand all the time!"

"What…?" Link muttered. "…are you saying you're not going to help me anymore?"

"I never even suggested that," said Sheik. "Link, I am more than happy to help you, but if you want to fulfill your destiny, you are going to have to become a little more independent."

The group of Moblins rushed around the corner, charging at full speed towards Sheik. Their war spears were raised into the air, ready to drive their heads into the young Sheikah's torso. Sheik, however, didn't turn around to face them.

"Listen," he said. "Take my last bit of advice." He began to reach to one side of the door. He pulled something out slightly, and Link soon realized that it was a large sheet of metal that could be pulled out to cover the spaces between the metal grill of the door. "Our eyes can only tell us so much, and our brain can only translate so many things into something that makes sense."

The Moblins drew closer and closer.

"Link, do not rely on just your senses to find a way forward, especially faced against something this powerful."

Link leaned forward on the door. "What? Then what else should I use?"

The Moblins picked up their pace dramatically. They closed in swiftly, blocking the view of the passageway.

Sheik looked at Link, a presence of finality in his eyes.

"Listen to your heart."

With one hard tug, Sheik yanked the large piece of metal in front of the door, just before the Moblins slammed into him. There was no sound following the large thud of the metal hitting the other side of the door; no scream, no sound of swords meeting other swords. There was just silence, Link's breathing but a small comfort.

Link rammed his fist onto the door.

"Sheik!" he yelled. He began to repetitively smashing his knuckles against the thick metal, but couldn't break through to help his friend. He wanted to know what was happening behind that door. He wanted to know if Sheik really did know what he was doing, or even if he was aware of the pack of enemies that ambushed him just before he barricaded himself from his partner.

He eventually stopped trying to break the door; it wasn't going to happen. He rested his head on the rusty metal, lifting his head off slightly, letting it fall back down, and kept on going.

"Stupid…stupid…stupid…" he muttered under his breath. He felt the chill of this new room whirl up his spine, and a strong, foul scent slithered into his nostrils. It was almost chemical-like, a corrosive airborne substance that slowly eroded everything it touched. Link winced, his eyes watered.

He wasn't sure if it was the loss of Sheik or the potent stench of this room that made his tear ducts begin functioning.

He wanted to turn and go away from the door, but he couldn't. He couldn't leave someone behind, even if it were against their own will. Link, being the person who he was, was always there for the other person and not so much himself. It wasn't that he didn't want to be independent, but he would never forgive himself if he were to let Sheik take care of the Moblins on his own.

"Oooh…oh Sheik! Help me! Help me! I can't live without you!" mocked a voice from behind.

It was Phantom, since Link could recognize his old voice. He turned around, Master Sword in hand, but saw nothing but darkness and nothing beyond its curtain.

"How pathetic. I expected more from you," said Phantom, shielded in the blackness. "Look at you, completely dependant on your partner. When he's gone, you futilely try to get back to him. Miserable Kokiri..."

Link slowly walked forward, away from the door. Navi's and Tamil's lights weren't able to penetrate the dark opaqueness of the air. "Show yourself!" he demanded. "If you are going to insult me, at least don't do it as a coward!"

Phantom chuckled. "Heh…you can't see me, can you?"

Link began to hear light footsteps, but coming from all directions. It wasn't multiple feet, but just merely one pair moving everywhere, nowhere. The darkness bent the direction of sound, as water does to light.

"Coward?" Phantom laughed.

An intense, sharp pain scraped across the back of Link's leg. He sucked in a large amount of air through his teeth before stumbling forward, barely managing to grab the wounded part of his calf. Trying to regain his composure, he blindly and violently swung the Master Sword into the general area where he thought Phantom was hiding. He only struck air, unfortunately, but that only made him even angrier.

"What are you doing?" sighed Phantom. "You can't even tell I'm right behind you."

Link immediately spun around and swung ferociously at the shadow, but again met nothing.

"Trusting the words of your enemy?" said Phantom slyly. "I have to admit, I overestimated your wit."

Link was cut again, this time on the other leg. He yelped and collapsed to one knee, not daring letting go of his weapon. He bit his lip, trying to take the pain, but it was hard to ignore it as he felt small amounts of blood trickling down his fingers. He clenched his teeth together and squeezed the hilt of the Master Sword, causing his hand to shake.

"Stop…toying with me!" he screamed as he struggled to get to his feet.

"It's really satisfying to see you wriggle around helplessly, Hero of Time, it really is," said Phantom. "Such irony that one who had been prophesised to shed light on the kingdom of Hyrule is unable to defend himself in the very darkness he was supposed to destroy."

"Shut up!" Link yelled, trying to block out Phantom's words. He swung around the Master Sword frantically.

"Ha! What's the matter, Link? Are you afraid of me? Can't you fight me without the petty counsel of your friend?"

Sheik's advice…he had given Link plenty. Link recalled that Sheik had given him words of wisdom before he left him. He was so angry; he found it extremely hard to think properly. He stopped swinging his sword around, and tried his best to remember what Sheik said.

"What's this? Are you giving up on me so soon?" said Phantom.

Link ignored Phantom and continued to dig deep into Sheik's many words. He thought and thought, picking up every line, deciphering every sentence. He found nothing that could help him here, not in this situation. It was there…he knew there was a way; he just had to find it.

"Hm…you're boring me," said Phantom impatiently. "Maybe another cut might get you all fired up again?"

The surrounding footsteps commenced again, drawing closer.

Link began thinking of when Sheik abandoned him at the door just a few moments ago. What were his last words?

They came.

"Listen to your heart," Link said under his breath, quiet enough that Phantom couldn't hear him.

Link began fuelling up his emotions; letting his heart run wild. He thought of his friends, his enemies, his hopes, his fears, his dreams, his nightmares. He brought to mind how everything and everyone he knew was pounded into submission; they did not run; there was no place to run; people whom he imagined their mouths faintly twitching the word "destiny". He saw Ganondorf; Link was moving back from this man with the insane, gorged face, the gibbering, dry mouth, the shining golden triangle in his fist. Lilies, trees, grass, water, lava, sand, brick, stone, day, night. Hyrule was a vast landscape, bearing every single element the gods had intended to put there. Sound gushed from the sky, the ground, and everything in-between. Noise bombarded him at such and immense volume that his bones were almost shaken from their tendons; he felt his jaw vibrate, his eyes wobble in his head. He was a victim of concussion. He felt like a man who had been thrown from a cliff, whirled in a centrifuge, and spat out over a waterfall that fell and fell into emptiness and emptiness and never quite touched bottom, and you fell so fast you didn't touch the sides either; never quite touched anything.

Phantom was right behind him.

Link put the Master Sword in his right hand, letting his left hand free; he wasn't going to use the sword of evil's bane just yet. He clenched a tight fist and turned around swiftly. He rammed it hard into the black abyss, making full and complete contact with Phantom's unguarded stomach. He grunted, and Link heard him collapse to his knees. Link made no hesitation in cracking Phantom one right in the jaw, getting him out of his way. He heard the Forest Guardian stumble back into the shadow, and eventually fall down.

Link heard him breathing, hard, and not doing a very good job, either. He coughed and grunted, unable to say anything. Link was immediately reminded of his situation a few minutes back, when Phantom had struck him down the very same way.

Phantom groaned. "Meg!" he yelled. "Meg!"

There was a flash of deep purple light, and suddenly the room was illuminated. Before Link could realize what was going on, he gazed on the spectacular room he stood in.

The place was a lot larger than he thought. Pillars aligned the border of this circular chamber, all probably about twenty feet tall. The ceiling was a large dome, immediately reminding Link of the dome that he saw outside of the Forest Temple. He must've been in that part of the building right now. There were murals painted on the ceiling, of forests and the great beings and spirits that inhabited them. The floor was made out of grey stone, sucking out any heat of any object that dared to touch its surface. There were a few flights of stairs at some of the ends of this hall, which most likely led to other parts of the temple on the second level.

In the center of the room, there was a strange display. There were four torches, arranged in a square, roughly six feet apart from each other. In the middle of these four beacons there was a strange wooden cubicle, where Phantom was now, sitting on the ground, holding his stomach.

Link noticed that one of the four torches had been lit, and an insidious purple flame was barely lighting this room. A strange being hovered above it; some kind of spirit from beyond.

Its entire body was black, save for the parts that were clothed, if you could call them clothes. It had a torn, purple dress, almost transparent. It had a matching purple cloth on its head, fixed in place with a strange jewel. A small amount of golden hair poked out from the headdress. It had a long, crooked nose, flanked by two white, glowing eyes that never blinked. It held a strange shaft in its hand; a weapon?

It didn't seem to notice Link standing in the corner of the room. Instead, it simply glared at Phantom.

"You rang, my lord?" it said. It sounded like a female, possibly middle-aged.

Phantom grunted. "Get the others," he said. "Take care of him, will you?"

The spirit chuckled. "Very well, then."

The ghost snapped its fingers. "Come on out, sisters!" it called. "We have a little job to do!"

In an instant, there were three more flashes of light; one red, one blue, one green. Just as Link expected, the other three torches were lit, each with the corresponding colours, and three new spirits hovered above them.

The one that hovered over the red flame also matched the colour of the fire. It had red rags on, but unlike the purple spirit, it had no headdress. Instead, it had messy, straw-like hair, drooping in front of its face, tied up at the top of its head in an untidy ponytail. Its eyes looked a lot more evil and aggressive than the purple one, yet they didn't blink either. It too held a strange shaft in its hand.

The blue one also had its differences. Like the others, it had rags on except they were a deep azure shade. The fabric went up and around its head, making somewhat of a hood. It appeared that its hair was also tied up in a ponytail at the top of its head, but it was hard to tell since it was mostly covered up by the blue fabric, its hair barely poking out of the top. Its eyes seemed much more calm and collected. Again, it held the same shaft in its hand.

The last spirit, the green one, was very similar to the blue ghost. It had a hood attached to its green rags as well, with fabric going up the top of its head, its hair sticking out a little more than the blue ghost's, though. Its eyes seemed a little curious, enthralled by everything it looked at. It was plainly obvious that it also held the same shaft-like object in its inky black hand.

The four ghosts floated there and said nothing, all staring at Phantom.

"All right," said Phantom. "I'm counting on you, ladies. Get rid of him, will you?"

The four spirits nodded.

"Good," Phantom muttered. "Send me down, then."

The ghosts slowly approached their respectively coloured flames, and then let the ends of their metal shafts meet the fire. They all caught simultaneously, sucking the life out of the beacons and replacing it on their own. So that's what those things were; other torches, used to carry the flames wherever they pleased.

The spirits turned away from Phantom, each holding their own coloured blaze. Link watched as the cubicle Phantom was sitting in slowly began sinking into the ground and out of sight.

Link started to understand; the four beacons acted as keys to this cubicle, which he now realized was an elevator. Now that the beacons had been extinguished, the elevator had gone down into the depths of the temple. It only took a few moments, but before Link knew it, Phantom was gone.

The ghosts began roaming freely around the room. One by one, they acknowledged Link's presence. Link wasn't sure if he was glad or discouraged that the ghosts now carried the fire, for although it kept the room somewhat alit, he wasn't sure what they would do with it, especially which their assignment was to kill him.

The purple one was the first to speak.

"Well, well, its seems that Lord Phantom has finally entrusted us with an important task," she said arrogantly. She seemed pretty full of herself.

"Yeah, I can't wait to show this stupid kid a thing or two!" the red one exclaimed. Link wasn't surprised that this one was so angry.

"Joelle, please," said the blue one. "You don't want to scare the poor dear. Look at him, he looks like he's seen a ghost."

"What are you talking about, Beth?" said Joelle. "We _are_ ghosts!"

"Ah…" Beth mumbled. "Right…but that's not what I meant."

"Whatever," Joelle growled. "You're way too soft-hearted, Beth. I bet even Amy wouldn't hesitate to waste this guy."

"Well…" said Amy, the green spirit. "I'd hesitate in a different sense. I've calculated our chance of victory a mere 75."

"What does that mean?" asked Beth.

"It means chances are we're gonna beat this kid like no tomorrow," yelled Joelle. "Can't we get started yet?"

"Hm…he's not saying anything," said the purple one.

"Judging by his pulse rate being 197 beats-per-minute, I'd say he's nervous," said Amy. "Meg, we'd have a distinct advantage as long as this keeps up."

Meg laughed. "Will we, now?"

"Who cares?" Joelle complained.

"I don't know about you, Joelle, but I don't want to get hurt," said Beth. "Besides, I really don't want to fight today. It's just not my thing…"

"If you refuse to do combat, our chances of winning will be lowered to only 60," said Amy.

"Oh, is that right?" asked Beth.

"Of course its right! Amy's never wrong when it comes to that…math stuff," said Joelle.

"Never mind about that," said Meg. "It doesn't matter what our chances are; we must follow Lord Phantom's orders."

Link had to say something; this was all too weird.

"…who are you?" he asked.

The four spirits jumped.

"Oh! Looks like the little bugger has a voice, after all," said Joelle.

"He…doesn't know who we are?" pondered Beth.

"Our influence isn't that large. The probability of someone knowing of us is one-in-five hundred," Amy explained.

Meg floated up slightly higher than the other ghosts. "Then allow us to introduce ourselves." She widened her eyes, making her seem menacing amidst her purple aura. "My name is Meg."

"Joelle," said the red ghost.

"Beth," said the blue one.

"Amy," said the green.

"Combined, we are the four Poe Sisters," Meg declared. "We serve as the bodyguards of our lord and master, Phantom; one of the Five Elite Guardians, serving to protect the power of the Great Ganondorf."

"Do you…are you…against us?" asked Beth hesitantly.

"Well…I…" Link stuttered.

"Oh yeah, he's against us all right," Joelle growled. "I say we make it slow."

"Although it would be favourable to you, Joelle, that would be too risky," said Amy. "It would give him an increase in likelihood of victory by a whole–"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Joelle interrupted. "You were going to say by something percent or something, right?"

Amy's gaze trailed off, not paying much attention to Joelle. "Not necessarily…"

"Enough!" snapped Meg. "We have work to do. We need to act a little more professional when it is our turn to do our part."

"Very well," said Amy.

"Fine!" snarled Joelle.

"Oh…right…" mumbled Beth.

Meg locked a mischievous glare at Link. "Don't disappoint me…" She snapped her fingers. "Joelle! Beth! You soften him up, first!"

"All right!" exclaimed Joelle, more excited than ever.

"What? Me?" asked a startled Beth. "But…I don't want to fight…"

"C'mon! It'll be fun!" said Joelle playfully, punching Beth in the arm.

"Ow!" yelled Beth. "Hey! That hurt!"

"Sorry…"

Meg was seeming to get impatient. "Will you two get started already?" she yelled.

"Right!" said Joelle enthusiastically.

"Oh…okay…" Beth mumbled.

Link was confused beyond all reason, but even then he knew this wasn't good. Joelle and Beth were opposite each other in personality, but they hovered about in machinelike synchronicity. They ogled Link almost exactly the same, but their eyes differed so much it was hard to tell if they had a mutual intention. Their torches blared, but they did not hiss, they did not crackle. They were perfectly silent, not even the faintest whisper of the flames licking the stale air was heard. The blaze was as ghostly as the apparitions that held it, the otherworldly energy probably not producing any heat either. The ghosts still did not blink, Beth not even showing any compassion for Link anymore. The duo made their bearings, their eyes occasionally drifting towards the Master Sword, calmly sighing its hard blue glow. If these things were supposedly already dead, Link didn't have a clue why they looked at it so hesitantly.

Joelle was the first to move. She swung her red flame around her body, making long trails of fire around her, taking less than a second to dissolve into the air. She launched her body at Link at full velocity, her torch blasting forebodingly.

"Try this on!" she yelled as she swung the fire underneath herself, aiming towards Link's head. In a quick reflex, Link brought up his shield, making the torch bounce off the thick metal with a clang. Embers of bright red flame exploded out the sides of the Hylian Shield, eventually falling to the ground and burning out. Unable to stop herself, Joelle simply glided over Link to the other side, setting herself up for another attack.

Link could concentrated on that later, for Beth was already speeding towards him.

"Oh dear…" she mumbled as she attempted to strike him with her blue blaze. Again, Link found it within his agility to get his shield up in time to let the metal of Beth's torch meet steel instead of skull. Her blow wasn't as hard as Joelle's, but that was understandable.

"Come on, Beth!" complained Joelle. "You have to try a little harder than that."

"What? I am trying!" said Beth.

"No you're not!" said Joelle. "Look, do what I do, okay?"

Joelle launched herself at Link once more in the same fashion. She held her torch forward, attempting to ram it into Link's face with brute force. This time, Link wasn't just going to sit there and defend himself. It was his turn to take hold of the offensive. When Joelle was about to make contact, he brought up his shield like he did before, except now as Joelle coasted over him he took a chance and swung his sword violently overhead, making it flash brightly and briefly in the crimson light Joelle's fire produced. Link wasn't sure if he was surprised or not when the blade simply passed through Joelle's body like mist.

Joelle increased her altitude, not even noticing that Link had attempted to strike her. Link could only wonder what he could do now, now that he was powerless against these foes. If the Master Sword could not touch them, he had no idea what did.

"Oh…you mean like this?" said Beth as she hurled herself at Link for a second time as well.

This was ridiculous. Link couldn't kill ghosts…they were already dead. It was like trying to build a structure that was already there. It didn't matter what Link did; there was no way of getting around these things. He was in a tight spot now, but he remembered Meg's words that Joelle and Beth were trying to merely "soften him up". He had no idea what Amy and Meg were capable of, seeing as though they were the more insightful of the quartet. If they joined the battle with Joelle and Beth still fighting, he was doomed. He had to think up of something quickly to get them off his back.

When he brought up his shield for the fourth time, Beth accidentally slammed right into it, her torch protruding out the top side the Hylian Shield. Seeing Beth through the blue fire was an odd sight to behold.

That's when Link got an idea.

"Hey, what are you doing, dear?" asked Beth.

Somewhat influenced by Beth's politeness, Link could only be forgiving and polite back. "I'm sorry about this…" he mumbled.

He drove his shield forward and into Beth's torch, pushing it back. The blue fire eventually made contact with her face, and in a matter of seconds, Beth, one of the Poe Sisters, was completely engulfed in flames.

At first she didn't seem to notice that the deep cobalt inferno had spread rapidly throughout her body, but it didn't take her long to realize it. She dropped her torch, letting it crash and bounce to the stone floor. She began to flail her arms, the fire roaring louder every time she moved. She backed off away from Link, slowly becoming just a massive towering blue bonfire. Link could help but wince guiltily when she began screaming.

"Beth!" cried Joelle, rushing over Link to try and aid her sister. The other two quickly followed in the same panic that Joelle was experiencing. Beth was flying around the room like a great ball of cool blue flame, thrashing around, violently trying to ward the conflagration off of her body, but to no avail.

"Beth!" Joelle yelled again, a desperate blurt as a result of hopelessness. The other three sisters could only watch as Beth burned, her time slowly running out. The ghost fell to the ground, still completely on fire. She was rolling around, the blue flames licking the ground around her, wanting to get a taste of the dirt that littered it. They all huddled around her like campers to a campfire, trying to think of a way to put it out. There was no water in sight, and you can't beat out a fire when it isn't burning a solid, physical thing.

Beth simply began to slow down, and eventually become motionless and silent, the flames still burning bright.

As time quickly passed, her spirit no longer remained, and the fire literally leapt off the ground, seeming to take its own soul as well. It zipped around the room, roaring aggressively as it appeared to be searching for something. It flipped, twirled, soared, and shot like lighting towards the centre of the room, slamming into one of the four beacons, making it calmly ignite with the cool blue fire that Beth took from it.

Link finally understood. When the Poe Sisters took the flames away from the torches, the elevator went down…that's why Phantom ordered them to do it. It seemed that when Link got rid of the one who carried the flame, it found its way back to the original torch, lighting it back up again. Perhaps if Link defeated the Poe Sisters, he might have a chance of going after Phantom and shatter the barrier once and for all.

The remaining three remained huddle around where the fire used to burn, where Beth's apparition used to be lying, now just an empty space, devoid of any life.

"B…Beth…" whispered Joelle, not taking her eyes off the ground. The other two didn't say anything, possibly too choked up for words. They had lost their sister, and Link could only prepare for the worst.

Joelle was again the first to move. She turned her head towards Link, with an entirely new look. Link could see that her creepy but previously reliable impatient expression had deserted her. Her eyes now borrowed a crimson tinge from the fire she carried in her hand, and her face wrenched into a knot of murderous wrath.

"You!" she screamed, slowly building up her volume. She shot up over the other two ghosts, the flames she wielded burning taller than ever. "I'll rip you to pieces! I'll tear your head off and spit on your husk! I'll dismember your every limb until you can't touch death! I'll break your ribs and grind your heart into minced meat! I'll…I'll…"

Joelle blasted her body away from the scene of Beth's death, her eyes aflame with rage.

"Joelle! Wait!" yelled Meg as the red ghost continued her crash course with the Hero of Time. Joelle ignored her, too full of fury to hear anything. Her sights were set on the one that killed her sister, and her eyes were so wide that Link was almost inclined to turn and run.

Joelle caught up to him, and started frantically slamming her metal torch into Link's shield. She did not stop screaming. Link began to take paces backwards in order to gain some distance from the out-of-control spirit, but Joelle didn't even seem to notice. She continued to hack away at him, regardless of anything that surrounded her. Link began to breath hard as she became more unpredictable and reckless. He tried every so often to reach for her torch but only to get nailed in the forearm by the rusty steel, causing a sharp pain to sizzle up his arm and crackle in his elbow joint. The blows Joelle dealt steadily grew stronger and more forceful, building up rage and intent. Link wasn't going to let this ghost have her way with him, so he was going to have to pull another fast one to get out of this mess.

Whenever Joelle struck him, Link tried his best to push his shield forward in an attempt to get her to back off just a little. After two or three whacks, Joelle began to fall back. She didn't seem to care though, as she was still overpowering the sounds of metal against metal with her infernal shriek. Link thought this was the right time to introduce the Master Sword, and did so by countering Joelle's uncoordinated attacks with his weapon instead of his defence. He slammed the ghost's weapon with more force that it did in return, causing it go back even further. Link immediately took advantage of the opportunity and dove for the torch. He clasped it in both hands and gripped tight. He immediately tried to push it into Joelle's body, but he was only pushing her back as she was trying to avoid contact with it. Her screams transformed into a mix of long and sudden gasps of air as Link madly tried to get her out of the way. Link eventually pulled down and slammed Joelle on the ground, and pressed as hard as he could on the metal rod in a struggle to get it closer to the apparition's face. His arms shook as he pumped all his energy into them once he realized that Joelle was doing a pretty good job at keeping the fire away from her.

Unfortunately for her, Link's strength prevailed, and the fire slowly met with her head. Link didn't anticipate how quickly the fire would spread, and was almost caught in it once it ignited. He jumped out of the way just as the fire got a taste of his body. Joelle began screaming much quicker than Beth did, and the fire grew larger much faster as well.

"Joelle! No!" screamed Meg as her and Amy rushed over to the scene. Link backed away rapidly just in case one of them turned around in anguish. The bright red flame illuminated the whole room in a crimson bath, soaking the walls, the floor, the ceiling, casting pitch black shadows on everything that it did not meet. The fire twisted and curled as it consumed the essence of Joelle, roaring with delight as it fed. Amy looked frightened of the fire as Meg covered her eyes, unable to watch another one of her sisters die.

Link could feel the intense heat of the inferno as it devoured Joelle's soul, incinerating her quintessence. Her body dissolved in the screaming heat; an immediate cremation. It was only a matter of seconds until Joelle was no more, and her fire now burned serenely in the second torch.

The remaining half of the Poe Sisters was confused, distraught, and overall afraid of Link. The Hero of Time stood there, the Master Sword hanging loosely by his leg.

"Two down, two to go," he said calmly.

He thought it was a witty comment that would intimidate the remaining two, but instead Amy didn't seem to react to the comment at all, and Meg was simply enraged and more determined to cut off the light of life from Link's soul than ever.

"That's it! Enough!" she screamed. "Amy! We can't let Beth's and Joelle's deaths go to waste! They've tired him out…now is our chance!"

"But…" Amy mumbled. "It wouldn't be wise to attack him hand-to-hand. He would only do to us what he did to the others."

Meg didn't take her eyes off Link, but continued to talk to Amy. "Well…do you have any better ideas, Amy?"

Amy paused for a moment, but then suddenly lit up. "Eureka! I've got it!"

The green spirit flew off into the darkness, over into a balcony that overlooked the grand room. The lime radiance of her fire was still visible over the crest of the veranda, making it certain that she hadn't gone anywhere far. She emerged once again, carrying a strange object in her hands that Link recognized almost immediately: a bow and arrow.

Link remembered seeing a lot of them the first time he stayed at Hyrule Castle. They were all for the soldiers, of course, but upon one of their meetings Amentaris had given him a quick demonstration on how they worked. It was a fascinating object, but this was the last thing Link wanted in the hands of his enemy now.

"If he can't get to us," said Amy. "He can't grab our torches. Simple as that."

Meg finally looked at Amy. "At last…you make some sense for once."

Link, in a tighter spot than ever, was stumped when it came to clever plans of action for this situation. He had fought sword, spear, dagger, tooth, fire, and brawn, but arrows were something that weren't checked off on the list. Link could dodge razor-sharp metal flying at him at high velocities, but only for a short while since he was able to reach the enemy and stop their attacks.

Of course, Amy would still be vulnerable to the fire she carried, not only because two of her sisters died the very same way, but also because she said so herself before retrieving the bow and arrow.

The green ghost snapped her fingers, and in a puff of smoke, a devilish arrow appeared in her hand. Link thought as fast as he could, and without much consideration, began to run forward as Amy pulled back on the string of the bow. The jade ghost released the twine and sent the arrow flying in Link's direction. It was really hard to see where it was going at that speed, so Link took a chance and veered off to the left. The arrow whizzed by his right leg, cutting the air it passed through.

Link was pretty satisfied after getting out of the deadly path of the projectile, but snapped back into reality when he saw Amy hastily reloading her weapon. He let another arrow screech by his head, even closer than the first one.

Feeling a little overwhelmed, he began to pick up speed and got his shield ready. He held it close to his face, because he knew he would rather get an arrow in his arms or his legs than through his skull.

Another arrow met the metal face of the Hylian Shield, and Link took his chance.

Link burst out full speed, leaped off the ground, reached for the bow, and grabbed a hold of it. He swung under the ghost, still hanging on, and let his own weight yank it out of her hand.

He tried to land on his feet, but stumbled upon the landing and accidentally fell flat on his face. Ignoring Amy's cursing in the background; he scrambled to his feet and turned around.

Amy was now distinctly vulnerable, grabbing her head and shaking it around, swearing and cursing. Link didn't bother to say anything out loud; he had to make this quick. He ran forward as quickly as he could without making much noise. He ran past Meg, who only drew in a short breath as he bolted by. It looked like she wanted to say something to Amy, but couldn't find the words for it.

"What!" Amy screamed. "I went from 60 to only 35! How…how can that kid move so fast! 35!"

Link reached up through the ghost's body and grabbed hold of the metal torch. The coldness of the steel sank right through the leather of his gloves, but he still held on tight. Amy looked down to see the Hero of Time's hands on her torch, and slowly opened her mouth.

"Oh…make that 0..."

Link pulled back on the shaft as hard as he could, bringing all of his body weight down onto it, easily driving into Amy's gut. The sudden burst of green flame overtook Link's eyes. It vaguely reminded him of when he saw the Kokiri's Emerald for the first time. Still hanging on to the torch, he tossed the flaming ghost over his head, sending her flying behind him.

Amy landed hard on the ground, but unlike the other ghosts, she didn't scream. She simply lay there, silently being consumed by the fire like a ceremonial body burning. Meg was still silent as her face was alit in malachite light, too choked up to even stutter. Link calmly watched Amy wither away, almost in a respectful sense.

It didn't take nearly as long as the others, but Amy was eventually gone, her essence now crackling in the third torch.

Link calmly looked at Meg, but not with a smug grin on his face. Instead, his facial expression was more collected and sophisticated, almost business-like. He didn't want to rub anything in; that would be wrong. Meg, however, didn't look at him. She slowly drifted downward, towards the ground. She still looked at Amy's torch, now icy cold, no longer serving any purpose. Her gaze eventually went around the room, glancing at Joelle's spent torch, and then Beth's. She then looked into the middle of the room, where three coloured blazes; one blue, one red, one green; quietly and silently continued to live.

The last remaining spirit slowly brought on hand to her face, shuddered, and began making strange noises.

Link was prepared for the worst. Since Meg seemed to be the leader of the four, she would probably serve as the most challenging. Link could only assume that she was reciting an ancient spell to use on Link, carrying on Amy's strategy of keeping as far away from him as possible; after all, Amy so far did come the closest to getting him.

It was taking a while for Meg to finish the incantation, but that's when Link realized something.

Meg wasn't casting a spell; she was crying.

Link couldn't blame her; he didn't know how long Meg had been with her sisters, roaming around the Forest Temple. He felt guilty for taking them away from her, but had no regrets. He had used self-defence, and he also did it to go after Phantom–the real villain. Saria needed to be saved, and he wasn't going to let anyone get in his way.

Meg continued to grieve over her loss of her siblings, now all transformed into symbolic flames in the centre of the Forest Temple. It sadly reminded Link of how he felt when he lost close ones, such as the Deku Tree and Kaepora Gaebora. He knew the exact feeling that Meg was experiencing right now, but he never really knew that ghosts had feelings.

Link took a step back; something was wrong.

Meg's sobs slowly transformed themselves into chuckles, then into wild laughter. The deaths of her sisters had finally gotten to her mind, and Link knew this wasn't a good thing for him or her.

She leapt off the ground, her eyes ablaze, twisted into a tangle of madness

"You're clever!" she shouted.

Link was confused, since that seemed like all Meg wanted to say. "What?"

The two moonstones continued to twinkle in pitch-black fog. They twinkled as if they were drenched in a pond; still teary, dripping their half-existence through the thick air surrounding.

"Everyone…" she laughed, in one of the strangest laughs Link had heard in a long time. "All gone. Like you wanted it, right? You wanted it this way, didn't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Link insisted.

Her eyes flashed. "Ha! You're a liar, too! Self-contradicting little..."

"Sorry," said Link. "If you persist in making no sense, I think I'll just get this over with."

"Ho ho!" Meg laughed, her imaginary tears pouring out more fluently. She tried to restrain her grief, trying to psychologically pummel Link into obedience. "You rely on your eyes too much." She shook her head. "How naïve."

"Naïve?" said Link. "How does seeing make me inexperienced?"

Meg's tears, partly in another dimension; partly real, came out like twin waterfalls. "It's not seeing itself, young one; it's how you see."

"How I see?"

"Exactly!" cried Meg, feeling she'd accomplished a great feat. Her body shivered, buzzing in and out of truth. "What…do your eyes tell you?"

"What!" screamed Link, now completely frustrated with Meg's mind games. "What are you talking about!"

Meg didn't move. "Exactly what I said. Am I here, right in front of you?"

Another voice, exactly identical to Meg's, called out from behind. "Or am I here?"

Link spun around, and saw a mirror, Meg's reflection winking him in the face. He turned his head and still saw the first Meg floating not too far off the ground.

"Or could I be here?" came another voice. To Link's left, another Meg rose to the surface of the watery black pond that was the surrounding darkness. Her eyes shone just as bright as the other two that were in the room.

Link began to look around frantically. Had Meg successfully gotten to his head, now controlling what he saw at her own command, as if his mind was some kind of pathetic marionette?

"Down here…" came her insidious voice again.

Not out of respect, but out of fear, Link looked below his feet. There was another pair of ghostly white eyes staring up at him from the floor as if they were giant insects, moving left and right in the fashion of dancing to music. Link stumbled over the eyes, startled at their sudden appearance. He watched the eyes gradually become one with air, revealing the body attached to them. Link couldn't have been less surprised when he saw that this was but a fourth copy of Meg.

Meg…had she been so overwhelmed by the loss of her sisters that she created three new ones? The clones drifted around the room exactly the way Beth, Joelle, and Amy did, Meg probably controlling them to refit the initial strategy. She wanted to make mincemeat out of Link, except this time she had more of an advantage, since she could more easily control these duplicates of herself than her sisters. She had either done this to regain the offensive, calm herself down, or simply out of spite.

Link's thoughts about Meg being depressed about loss were but mere conjecture, nothing more.

The four new Poe Sisters gathered close together, and began to shuffle around, like they were overturned mugs in a friendly game of Cups, concealing the identity of the original Meg. Link tried to follow her, but was thrown off in seconds as the flames the four carried began to obstruct the view, creating a thick curtain of bright purple light.

Link began to prepare for the worst as the four Meg's slowly began to make their advance on him. He had completely lost track of the real one; the one who controlled them all. Link needed to know this since getting rid of the real Meg would save him the trouble of taking them all out one by one.

"Look at him…he's intimidated!" said the four Megs simultaneously. "What a pity. We hoped that he would relentlessly try to take us down; he seemed to have no hesitation with the others!"

Link bared his teeth. "I'm not afraid of you!"

"Fight, then!"

Link couldn't; it was too dangerous. He wasn't about to arrogantly commit suicide just because of Meg's manipulation. He began to back away slowly from the approaching spirits, trying to think of something.

As he travelled, his foot stumbled over something. He almost made a fool of himself when he came extremely close to falling on his back. When he looked down, not taking his eyes of the four Megs for long, he saw what it was: Amy's bow.

And just beside it…one unspent arrow that she probably tried to launch at him just before he defeated her.

Looking at the two items gave Link an idea.

Carefully keeping his pace away from the four new Poe Sisters, Link crouched down and delicately lifted the weapon off the ground along with the projectile. Glancing every so often at the ghosts, who did not speed up or slow down in any sense, he vigilantly attached the end of the arrow to the taut string. It snapped into place, allowing Link to grab the string with his index, middle, and ring finger; just as Amentaris taught him. He brought the weapon up to eye level, and carefully aligned his eyesight with the tip of the arrow's point. He watched the four Megs approach as if they were some bizarre piece of animated art.

Which one? They were all exactly the same, and had shuffled so fast that Link had lost track of the real Meg. They continued to creep closer, counting down the exact moment when they would strike, and ultimately beat Link to a pulp. Link's hands began to shake as he continued to hold the string back, puling it towards himself despite its earnest will to be released. Four pairs of eyes stared at him, glowing through a purple aura, blinking like they were attempting to make music with silence. Every time one of them blinked, it made Link subconsciously turn his attention to them for only a split second. They were like flickering lights, distorting the area around them, giving people headaches and resurrecting dark thoughts and instincts.

They were blinking?

Link swiftly recalled one of the first things he noticed about Meg and the other original Poe Sisters; they never blinked, ever. Why were these four blinking now? Link looked at each one carefully, until his heart skipped a beat when he looked at the one on the top right.

That Meg was not blinking.

He had found her. Meg had overlooked the fact that she never blinked, and created a fatal flaw in her copies. She was revealed and was simply a sitting duck, no longer mentally protected by her counterparts.

Link took aim. He pulled the string back even further, and pointed the arrow as best he could towards the real Meg's torch. He watched the end of the arrow shiver, unable to keep right on target. Link was going to have to time himself perfectly if he was going to make this work. Meg's calm approach wasn't helping him concentrate, but he did his best to kick her gaze out of his mind.

It took a moment or two, but Link finally took a chance and released the arrow. It cut through the air, ripping the fabric of the atmosphere as it tore upwards. It's spinning tail was soon the only thing barely visible, for it occasionally reflected the sinister purple light of the ghosts' torches.

Link flinched when there was a loud clank, sounding like metal against metal. The Meg on the top right was sent back slightly, until a large burst of purple light filled the room. She was on fire, just like the rest of her former sisters. Her three replicas simply faded, the clear yet opaque dark air overtaking their physical forms. In seconds, they were gone, and the real Meg continued to flail around in the air.

The purple light looked the most unnatural out of all of them, but for some strange reason, Link found that it looked the most beautiful. The way it moved; the way it danced was almost seductive, the brilliant colour making him almost forget what it was burning.

"Noooo!" Meg screamed out of anguish and bodily pain. "L-Lord Phantom!"

Sill in the air, Meg could be seen lifting her hands in front of her face, watching them burn, being eaten alive by what she was trying to protect.

"I've…failed you…"

Meg suddenly plummeted towards the floor like a meteor roaring through the earth's atmosphere. Before she even hit the ground, the fire extinguished, leaving nothing in its wake.

As expected, the last torch was once again alit, completing the trial. The room was once again fully alit in their radiance, every nook and cranny now clearly visible. It was like a dream, standing there in a room you only thought would exist in the infinite world of a restful sleep. There were endless possibilities, no physical laws, no rules, the impossible was possible, and the most amazing things in real life were about as boring as a pebble, never moving.

Link's suspicions were finally confirmed as he watched the cubicle rise from its tomb, just as he predicted. The torches did act as keys, and he had now unlocked the gate; the path to the lower level was now open.

Link looked at the bow, still in his hand. It was somewhat shabby, but Link couldn't let it's looks distract him from its apparent efficiency. It wasn't a long bow, like those the Hylian army used; it was only about the length of the distance from Link's shoulder to his wrist. The wood was nicely polished, although it did look rather worn out. The string was looped and tied on either ends of the wood, where it was coloured a glossy red. Two equally glossy blue bumps on the wood marked the handle, and one of these was where the shaft of the arrow would rest.

"All right, guys, let's get going," said Link, hoping that Navi and Tamil would hear his words. No response came right away, so he turned around to locate them. They were huddled in the far corner, not moving too much. Link sighed and hurriedly jogged over there. As he drew closer, he noticed that Navi was silently comforting Tamil again, who was once again traumatized.

Link stood there for a moment, thinking of what to say. "We need to get going. Tamil, if you don't think you'll be able to come, you can stay here; you'll be safe."

"Beth…" Tamil whispered. "She seemed…really nice, didn't she?"

Link bit his lip. "Regardless, she was our enemy, and had to be eliminated."

Tamil shook her head. "But…it's not right…"

"No, it's not," Link agreed. "It's a sad fact. No matter what kind of a person you are, the side you choose is what affects everything. I think you're in the midst of realizing that."

Tamil sighed shakily. "But what if they can't choose their side? What if they are forced to?"

"If there is anything that I would change about the world, even after the evil leaves this land, it would be to give everyone a choice in life. No one should be ordering people around against their will, so people won't have to be sacrificed meaninglessly."

Tamil was silent, slowly nodding.

"Well, are coming along, Tamil?" Navi asked. "The worst is yet to come."

"Yeah…" said Tamil. "I'm Saria's fairy; I have to be with her. Death is the only thing that will separate us."

"Not fear?" asked Link.

"No, never," Tamil answered. "I may be sensitive, but I won't let fear get in the way of Saria's safety."

Link smiled. "You're strong, Tamil. You remind me of myself when I was young."

Tamil looked up at Link. She had a bright smile on her face. "Really? I always did admire you when you were a child, Link. That means a lot to me."

"All right," said Link. "Let's go. We can't delay any longer. We have to stop Phantom before he can do anything to Saria."

Navi and Tamil silently took off, and began to follow Link as he ran towards the elevator.

"Just hang in there…" Link whispered under his breath. "…Saria…I'm coming."

* * *

_A despicable failure. The Fire Barrier had been without a guardian for too long. It had been two weeks since Ganondorf dispatched the previous Guardian of Fire, and it was time to establish a new one before the Hero of Time arrived._

_He was planning to have Kanakana accompany him, but he had mysteriously been absent to deal with things of his own interest. Ganondorf was forced to travel alone to Death Mountain, but it was of little consequence._

_He stood in the very heart of the volcano's crater. It was intensely hot here, but Ganondorf, still in control of the barrier at the Fire Temple, was unaffected by the otherwise deadly heat._

_Just being here he was reminded of the atrocity that the first Fire Guardian turned out to be in the end after almost seven years of service. His name was Kvaris, a creature made out of molten rock, wrought together with powerful magic that churned within the depths of Death Mountain's magma chamber. He resembled a human with horns, but only his upper torso. The rest of his body would sink into the lava._

_Kvaris had been ignoring Ganondorf's orders in his sixth year, and eventually Ganondorf learned that he was plotting against him. It was a simple matter of travelling to Death Mountain and eliminating him with minimal effort. It was pathetic that Ganondorf would have internal strife, so he acted as soon as possible. Ganondorf was forced to dispose of him himself, since there was no other force capable of destroying a guardian._

_He went without a guardian for the Fire Barrier for two weeks, until the Hero of Time returned. Now, he knew that he had to get a new one before he reached Death Mountain._

_Volvagia, the ancient dragon of legend was the best choice for the replacement. It had been slain by a Goron hero thousands of years ago using the fabled Megaton Hammer. Legend had it that Volvagia feared the weapon, leading to his doom. It was of no matter, for the mythical hammer was believed to have been destroyed by the intense heat of the Fire Temple._

_The remains of the dragon were scattered throughout the depths of the active volcano by the Gorons during the earlier days of their existence. The reason was to prevent any attempt at reviving the beast, for in order to do so, all of the bodily remains of the subject needed to be present. Since Ganondorf had planted his own underlings in this region, it was only a matter of time until they gathered them all._

_The bones of the ancient dragon lay before him, awaiting his spell. Ganondorf lifted up his arms, and began the incantation. The skeleton lifted off the ground, caught in a whirlwind of flame and dark magic, the ancient fossil beginning to glow and take shape. Ganondorf continued to have his arms raised into the air, carrying on the resurrection. The bones spun and spun, pillars of dark magic shooting up through the igneous ceiling. They were overtaken by the spell, no longer visible to the untrained eye. The sound was immense, enough to cause the average person to permanently lose their hearing. Smells of burning flesh and tar now filled the entire area. The heat grew enormously; not even the walls of the chamber could remain perfectly stable. Chunks of rock fell to the ground, shattering to pieces and eventually being caught in the hurricane of dark flame._

_There was a large, red flash, and in a matter of moments, Ganondorf was faced with the newly resurrected Volvagia._

_The dragon stared at him hungrily; it hadn't eaten in thousands of years._

"_I am not your food, today!" shouted Ganondorf. "My name is Ganondorf. I am your master."_

_Volvagia was no longer staring at him as if he were a piece of food, but more like an intruder entering his domain without permission._

"_Who are you to tell me that you are my master?" questioned Volvagia, hissing like steam venting from cracks in the earth proximate to a geyser. "You lack the right."_

"_I have awoken you from your eternal slumber," said Ganondorf. "You are under my spell. If you are to defy me or my wishes, then I can send you back to where you came from. Is that clear?"_

_Volvagia was silent._

"_Your task is to guard the magical barrier before you," Ganondorf went on. "Let no one touch it!"_

"_And…" said Volvagia. "If I do this one thing for you?"_

"_Then you will be free," Ganondorf replied. "Else fear my wrath. I have no intent on bargaining any further with the likes of you."_

_Volvagia looked up, surveying his surroundings. He spoke, but didn't look directly at Ganondorf. "If I am to guard this place, then I will do it as I see fit. Be gone! Leave me, and I will guard the barrier as you have instructed."_

"_I have supplied you with troops," Ganondorf informed the dragon. "You may use them to your will."_

_Volvagia's eyes widened. Although it was barely noticeable to him, Ganondorf could feel the temperature of the area increase steeply. "Troops? You have wasted your time. I need them not."_

"_Regardless of whether or not you require their assistance, they are under your command. I trust you have no objections?"_

_Volvagia growled. "So be it."_

_A ghost of a smile appeared on Ganondorf's face. "Good. Good. I look forward to see what you are capable of, Volvagia."_

_Without another word spoken, Ganondorf turned around and left the new Guardian of Fire to his duties. He had other things to take care of._

_Before he stepped out of the premises, he said one more thing._

"_Oh, I almost forgot," he said as he turned around. "Have you ever heard of the Hero of Time?"

* * *

_

"You!"

"Yes, me. Need I add on to your clichéd phrase?"

Phantom stood before Link, just before the elevator that came down, wearing Link's body as people wore clothes. His pupil-less eyes glared in the darkness, brighter than those of the Poe Sisters. He was simply Link's shed skin, taken on a new life without a heart or soul, making everyone believe that he had simply come back as an empty person, free of any emotion or conscience.

No conscience indeed; this guy had kidnapped Saria simply to get Link to come to him first, and now he talked down to him as if he were a child, instead of the more appropriate other way around. Here he stood, wide out in the open, vulnerable to any attack that Link could possibly throw at him, but yet he still hesitated. It might've been the fact that he was recalling what happened last time he tried to attack him.

Even if it was out of place, Tamil was the first to speak after the momentary silence.

"You! What have you done to Saria! Let her go!"

Phantom chortled loudly, pleased to hear that Saria's guardian fairy was so worried about his hostage. "You seem concerned. Perhaps you want to see what remains of your friend? I warn you, it's not a pretty sight."

Link thought he might've popped a vessel in his eye. "What have you done! If you've laid a finger on her I swear I'll-"

Link was caught off by Phantom's laughter. "Whoa, whoa! Settle down, young one! I was just joking…" He crossed his arms, his fingers nervously tapping. "You shouldn't be so gullible, you know that?"

Link bared his teeth. "You little runt! You shouldn't joke about things like that!"

Phantom shrugged. "Who cares? Don't tell me to be polite."

"Where is Saria?" yelled Tamil, ignoring Phantom's conversation with Link.

Phantom smiled the same smile that he'd been performing since he first laid eyes on Link. "Yeah, like I'll tell you. Great logic there, insect."

"Maybe words won't persuade you to tell us…" said Link. He drew the Master Sword, pointing it at Phantom's throat. "…but maybe this will."

Phantom didn't seem intimidated at all. He simply continued to laugh. "What's this? You, threatening me? You really have potential, don't you?"

"Yeah," Link agreed. "Even ask the Poe Sisters."

Phantom frowned. "You idiot. I know they're dead. They were merely pawns I placed on the battlefield to test if you were really the Hero of Time or not."

"I suppose your another one of those…" growled Link, pressing the tip of the Master Sword further into Phantom's neck. "One of those people who tosses away the lives of others for their own purposes."

"What's wrong with that?" Phantom asked with a conceited grin.

"I won't bother wasting my time explaining it to you," said Link. "A person like you wouldn't understand."

Phantom's smile grew. He didn't say anything, although it looked like he was on the verge of it for a second. He simply looked down and off to the left, shaking his head in some sort disappointment.

He rammed Link in the stomach, grabbed the blade of the Master Sword, and flung him over his head. All Link saw in those few seconds were a bunch of lights spinning around, flying past him as he twirled in the air. He wasn't sure what it was, if it was the fairies or not. Before he could really contemplate what they were, he landed hard on his shoulder. It felt like Phantom had broke it, but the second the pain calmed down slightly instead of increasing, he knew that it was merely just a painful landing. He still had the Master Sword in his hand, and thankfully everything else as well.

"Pity," came Phantom's voice from behind as Link struggled to get up. "You persist on letting your guard down."

Another powerful blow made contact with the back of Link's head, making it snap forward and send him to his stomach. His feet were the last thing to hit the ground, and unfortunately that was the only part of him that didn't hurt so much.

Out of instinct, Link rolled himself over to his back, barely getting a clear view of Phantom as he leapt up and drove one of his feet into Link's already damaged stomach, forcing Link to sit up as the muscles in his abdomen abruptly tensed, trying to protect himself.

"Link!" cried Navi in the distance, but there was nothing she could do. Phantom stood at Link's feet, his hands clenched into fists.

"Look at you!" Phantom yelled. "You can't even stand up to me, no pun intended."

Link tried to ignore him, but Phantom was already succeeding in digging deep into his mind.

"This is ridiculous. I prepared all this time and this is what I get presented with?" he complained. "What in the name of the gods was Ganondorf thinking, proclaiming you as a threat? I could kill you right now if I wanted to."

Link remained silent, thinking of some kind of motivation to get him up and take out Phantom while he was rambling on.

"I do him all these favours, and this is how he repays me? A stupid kid to get all exited about? Give me a break."

"Favours?" asked Link weakly, not believing anything Phantom was saying. "Yeah, like what?"

"You halfwit!" roared Phantom. "You wouldn't believe all the things I've done for him. Like when I was forced to cover for him to get rid of the Deku Tree!"

Link looked up. "…what?"

"Yeah, Ganondorf was so afraid that the inferior Kokiri would stop him from taking care of that infernal guardian spirit. He merely ordered me to release Queen Gohma into his roots, but I added my own touch and added a little curse of my own creation to top it all off! He never knew what hit him!"

Thousands of thoughts were racing through Link's mind right now. All of this time, he thought Ganondorf was the one who put the curse on the Deku Tree. Of course, it was Ganondorf's orders for the annihilation of the guardian spirit, but it was Phantom's decision to lay the curse on him; the reason Link could not save him.

Link couldn't measure how much rage was building up inside him. Phantom had disguised himself as Ganondorf and did his dirty work for him. Ganondorf was responsible for the Great Deku Tree's death, but it was Phantom that ensured it. It was because of Phantom that it was impossible for Link to prevent him from dying. It was because of Phantom that Link felt so much guilt for the loss. It was because of Phantom that the Kokiri were not able to continue to thrive without the Deku Tree to give birth to new ones.

"What a pitiful soul, the Great Deku Tree was," laughed Phantom. "Hell, I'd do it all again, even if Ganondorf didn't order it!"

Link had had enough. Even he could not describe how immensely angry he was. It was something that would best be left not described, since it would bring up comparisons and analogies too foul to put into words.

Link literally grabbed Phantom by his accursed throat, and lifted him off his feet. The spirit's eyes seemed to get even paler, as if Link were cutting off the blood flow from the neck up. Link wasn't surprised, since he was squeezing it with all his might. After a loud roar, Link threw Phantom's body into the nearby brick wall, slamming it hard into the stone. Large amounts of dust sprayed out of the cracks which impact created, shaking some lose chunks out of their resting places. Phantom, still stunned by Link's sudden actions, fell to the floor virtually limp, completely unaware of the falling debris immediately piling on top of him. They fell from the ceiling, but didn't reveal any light from the surface. The rocks continued to fall, slowly and steadily covering up Phantom's body. His legs were first to disappear under the rubble, then the wreckage slowly made its way up. After a few moments, his right arm was the only thing spared by the falling chunks. A thin layer of dust still covered its overturned surface, almost in a disturbing way. It ceased to move. Link couldn't even tell if there was any sign of life left.

"Link…" said Navi, hesitantly approaching. "Are you…are you okay?"

"He killed him…" said Link shakily, still full of rage. "He killed him, Navi…"

"Link, get a hold of yourself," she said. "It doesn't matter who killed the Deku Tree. You need to stop concentrating on the past."

"But…"

"Look," said Navi, cutting Link off. "There is someone further down here that needs our help. Either you pull yourself together, or you leave her for dead."

Link began to catch his breath, trying to calm himself down. "Okay…" he mumbled, still in somewhat of a gnarl. "You're right…you're right." He slowly exhaled, carrying on his efforts to calm himself. "We'll have to hurry, though. If I know Phantom, it's going to take more than that to get rid of him. Come on; we have to get to Saria before he does."

The three didn't say anything else as they began to run down the narrow and dark hallway. Link felt nervous about turning a blind eye to Phantom, still temporarily trapped under that pile of stone. He was sceptical about it being a good idea, but he was out of options. When Phantom got out of that mess, he would undoubtedly be in a blind rage, which would spell doom for Link if he were still trapped in this passageway. He pressed on, trying to banish the thoughts of Phantom and his involvement with the Deku Tree's murder out of his mind.

It wasn't working well. The thought of the Guardian of Forest calmly and silently pursuing after them brought chills up his spine. His stomach had not completely recovered from Phantom's blows, which slowed him down slightly, making it easier for his enemy to catch up to him.

As he ran under each passing arch, the area got even darker, as if some unknown force was slowly lowering the dimmer switch. As Link saw the quarters gradually become consumed by the lingering darkness, he began to wonder more and more what Phantom had in store for him. He was one step ahead of his plan, of course, but it was a simple game of catch-up for the enemy, and it wasn't a hard game, either.

He began to think of what must've been going through Saria's mind as she was dragged through this hall. She might've been thinking she was being pulled to her doom, or even a worse fate: torture. From what Link knew of Phantom's twisted mind, those two possibilities were still there. If Link were in Saria's situation, alone and unable to defend himself, he wouldn't know if he would ever recover.

He thought of his weapons as his protection; not as tools of death and destruction. They were possibly one of the many motives to keep him pushing forward and swallowing his pride. He first believed in the many theories that weapons lead to corruption, and corruption leads to death. Now, after he had matured into an adult, he came to realize that it wasn't the weapon itself that causes pain and suffering, but it depended on the individual in control of that weapon. As long as Link remained himself, the Master Sword would always be used for good instead of evil.

Even these dark hallways would not stop Link from going where he wanted to go; to save who he wanted to save. Saria had always been a friend to him, always protected him from Mido's assaults.

It was time to return the favour.

He had no idea what lay ahead in wait, but that didn't slow him down. He relentlessly pushed through the darkness in search for a light; some kind of sign that he was nearing Saria's position. For once, he wished for a cry, a sob, something that would fire up his energy after Phantom's assault.

He was going to avenge everyone. He was going to avenge the death of the Deku Tree, and he was going to deliver the same pain to Phantom that he had caused to everyone in contact with his evil. Phantom may have had a plan in store for him, but Link knew in his heart that he was going to force that scheme to backfire, big-time.

Once he thought about it, he couldn't really believe that he was in the dwelling of the one who had initially triggered Link's persistent sadness. Phantom was the one who introduced death to Link's life, and possibly corrupted his moral resolve at an early age. When Phantom went down, not only was the Great Deku Tree going to be avenged, but Link himself as well.

Something appeared at the end of the hallway. It was a door, and a large one at that. Its size reminded him of those grand gates he had seen in Hyrule Castle. It loomed over the last several feet of the hallway like a giant guard keeping watch over his treasure. The door was old, seemingly eaten away by time and age. It looked like it was once beautifully colourful and decorated; now only a few chips of paint remained on its old, wooden surface. It reminded him of Hyrule Castle Town; how it changed so easily in seven short years.

There was no doubt in Link's mind that beyond this door was where Saria was being held. This was where Phantom had taken her; he could almost feel it in his bones. He could hear her chilling cries still echo in this place.

He didn't stop to converse with the two fairies before entering; he was going to get Saria out of here as soon as he could.

He pushed the heavy double-doors aside, entering the humid room beyond. He was immediately faced with a wall just a few feet ahead, to his confusion. He was lucky he didn't just run face-first into it. After looking around for a minute, he found a short flight of steps poking faintly around the corner of the wall Link was faced with. Feeling slightly dull-witted, Link pressed on. He ran up the stairs like a jogger doing their warm up, except Link was not determined to run back down in a hurry. He flew up the steps like they were nothing, as if they were air to merely walk over unknowingly.

When he reached the end of the small curve that the stairs followed, it was the first time he stopped ever since he left Phantom behind.

The room he stood in was the most peculiar yet. The reason why he ran into a short wall the second he entered was because there was a rather large, raised platform making up the majority of the circular chamber. The platform had about a three-foot clearance from the walls, creating a small trench around the room, bordered by the walls and the platform that seemed to be off the ground by at least seven feet. The raised area was fenced by a series of small pikes with pointed spikes on the top of their golden heads. They ran all the way around the platform, each connected by a velvet rope. As he looked around the edges of the platform, his eyes began to wander around the walls. What he saw was somewhat disturbing. There were several large pictures surrounding the room, hung up with the utmost care. What was somewhat spine-chilling about them was that they were all exactly the same. They each portrayed a dark path, winding through a dead, skeletal forest, shaded in the dark of night, with a strange building barely visible at the end of the trail. He was mesmerized by the exact detail put into each of the paintings; how they were all painstakingly created exactly like the next. He wondered if they were even painted by human hands.

As he looked at the pictures, his eyes slowly lowered down the floor which he stood on. There was a lot of detail blessed into the surface of the granite, probably with as much detail and concentration put into the surrounding paintings. There were many designs painted onto the face of the floor, with a large variety of colours. There were swirls, dips, dives, hooks and spirals that made the floor a lot more interesting to look at than if they weren't there. Around the edges of the platform, there were many small interpretations of the Triforce, probably as many as the pictures surrounding. In the very centre of the platform, there was a much larger Triforce, twice as big as the one he stood on in the Chamber of Sages.

On that Triforce was Saria.

She was on her knees, head lowered in fear and anxiety. She was tied at her ankles and wrists, unable to move. A cloth was fixed to her mouth to muffle her cries so no one could ever find her. She was almost like a symbolic statue, placed intricately in the centre of the holy relic.

Like the other Kokiri, she was still a child, which really brought a frown to Link's face. He was sure she would've grown up to a beautiful young woman, just like Malon had. He felt as if he was a father coming to pick up his child from daycare, which was not the feeling he wanted to experience at this point.

Enough wasting time. He had to get Saria out of here before Phantom came back.

He nimbly approached her, keeping an eye out for anything moving. Apparently, the two fairies had not noticed her before now.

"Saria!" screamed Tamil as she rushed ahead. Saria's head perked up at her name being called, looking around franticly to find her guardian fairy. Before Link caught up, Tamil was already at Saria's nose, hugging it like a long lost sibling.

Saria was crying out of relief. At least it sounded like she was crying under that horrible-looking cloth.

When Link caught up, he didn't waste any time by talking to her; there was plenty of time for that after they had gotten out of there. He immediately began to untie the cloth at the back of her head, causing her to flinch. She probably didn't notice the others coming in, but for some reason she didn't squirm; she somehow knew that it wasn't Phantom, feverishly preparing her for some sick, twisted ritual. He knew that he hadn't seen Saria in seven years, theoretically, but his emotions were the last thing he wanted to take hold of him right now. Panic seemed to be dominating, and with good reason; he needed to pick up the pace if he wanted to get out of here alive.

He tore off the filthy rage and immediately threw it aside. Saria began to gasp for air, sucking in the foul air—at least not as foul as the cloth she had tied over her mouth and nose.

"Oh my g…are you all right, Saria? Please tell me you're okay…" Tamil sobbed.

Saria began to cough. "I…I'm fine…I'm okay…" She barely managed to blurt. "Thank you…"

Link's lips curled as he surveyed the knots in the ropes that bound Saria's wrists and ankles together. They were frayed; the knots were pulled incredibly tights. Saria's fragile fingers moved nervously, possibly expecting the bonds to come off any moment. She was fidgeting a lot, desperate to get out of this dungeon, most likely more badly than Link. He wasn't going to struggle with untying these lashes; he was going to take the faster route. He slowly drew the Master Sword from its scabbard, letting it ring throughout the room.

"Hold still," he instructed Saria. He said it so deeply that even he was surprised how low his voice had gotten. Saria, did as she was told, since she probably knew that he was here to help her. Link wouldn't blame her for not knowing it was him who was behind her, her old long-time friend from earlier years.

He held Saria's wrists gently but firmly as he let the edge of his sword glide through the tense fibres. The ropes came undone like scattering leaves, falling off Saria like they were nothing. She immediately brought her hands in front of her, wiping the sweat off of her forehead.

Her ankles were next. She kept them still, knowing that those were going to be cut next. Link sawed the Master Sword through the ropes there as well, and they were cut just as easily as the bondage on her wrists.

Saria, now completely free, immediately tried to stand up and run, but due to the fact that she had been completely still for so long prevented her from doing so. She simply fell flat on her face, not painfully fortunately.

Link walked forward and helped little Saria to her feet by lifting her up under her arms. She was so light; it was only now when Link really realized that Saria was just a small child, half his height and half his weight. It was really saddening to see her like this. He always knew her as somewhat his equal, but now she was just a helpless kid, relying on an adult to pick her up.

It was Phantom's fault…Saria was just another soul to avenge.

"Okay, we have to get out of here," said Link, looking around for signs of Phantom lurking around the corner. "We don't have much time…"

Rustling, up near the ceiling. Something was moving up there. Link faintly recalled memories of Queen Gohma, climbing upside down on the roof of the Great Deku Tree's heart.

"Scratch that…we're out of time!" cried Link. "Come on! Go, go, go!"

Link grabbed Saria's arm and began to head toward the exit, still in clear sight. The problem was Link couldn't see where he wanted to see: up near the ceiling. It was pitch black, and he couldn't really see where Phantom was, or what shape he had taken. He could still hear him, but he was slowly growing silent; Link was getting away. Maybe Phantom could outsmart him a few times, but at least Link could outrun him. He resolutely pulled Saria along towards the stairs that lead down into the trench, leading to the door that connected to the long hallway. He had to limit his running somewhat, since Saria had to keep up. He was about to leap onto the stairs, about to burst down the flight of steps to freedom, but was denied access. Three large, golden pikes burst out of three metal holes in the stone, rising to a height taller than Link himself. He slammed into the gold, brutally shaking the shafts to try and break them.

It was no use. He had to find another way before Phantom could make his move.

"Okay," he said. "We have to jump the ropes. Get ready."

Link took a right, away from the blocked exit, and got ready to jump.

"Link! Wait!" cried Saria, just before Link carried her over.

Link stopped dead in his tracks, looking back hurriedly at his old friend. "What!"

"I can't go over those…it's too big of a fall…" she sobbed.

"Yes, you can," said Link. "Trust me, I won't let anything happen to you."

Saria nervously approached the edge of the platform, and cautiously peered over the edge. "I…I can't…I just can't. I won't be able to get over the velvet rope. Can't there be another way, Link?"

Link couldn't see Saria' face as she looked over, but he spoke to her just the same. "I don't see any—"

He cut himself short. His eyes widened dramatically, staring at Saria in disbelief. It was impossible…it couldn't be!

"Saria…" he began. "How…how did you know…it was me?"

Saria looked up, towards one of the paintings directly ahead. She didn't move her head. Maybe she was thinking about a rational answer to Link's question, since there might've been some unbelievable way she knew.

At least that's what Link wanted to believe.

She turned her head, revealing exactly what Link didn't want to see: her eyes had no pupils.

The next thing Link knew, he had been hit hard in the chest and was being sent back several feet, soaring over the ground at high speeds. He skid on his back, letting the crown of his head kiss the floor as well. By the time he stopped, he was fully aware of what was going on.

He coughed and groaned on the ground, completely winded by the sudden attack. Once again, he was caught off guard. He body was beaten badly enough as it was; Link didn't need any more grief.

Through his blurred vision, he watched Phantom approach in his new form. It was even more disturbing to see Saria look at him with those evil eyes than himself.

"Stupid kid…" he growled. "What do you take me for? Did you think you had me there?"

"Actually," Link groaned, spitting out some blood. "I didn't."

Phantom's eyes narrowed, but said nothing.

"You little pest..." Link moaned. "What have you done with the real Saria!"

"Yeah!" screamed Tamil. "Give her back! Let her go!"

"Heh…" Phantom chuckled. "I don't think I need to point her out; apparently you already know where she is."

"What?"

Phantom shrugged nonchalantly. "She's me…or at least she's who you thought was me." A wide grin appeared on his face as he calmly pointed towards the ceiling. Link looked up where he was pointing, and he saw her.

The real Saria was also tied at the ankles and wrists with a foul cloth over her mouth, except she was suspended in the air by another rope attached to her wrists, disappearing into the blackness that consumed the ceiling. She was struggling, crying as loud as she could underneath the cloth. That's what that rustling noise was; it was Saria trying to grab Link's attention, trying to let him know that he had got the wrong person.

Link felt so ashamed of himself. He almost abandoned Saria, and it was Phantom himself that prevented him from doing it. There was nothing more shameful than having your enemy keep you from making the wrong move.

Phantom shook his head. "I must admit…you're much stupider than I thought. Honestly…how many times have I gotten you by now?"

Link continued to cough and wheeze on the ground, still winded, not able to really say anything. He was quite intimidating by Phantom approaching him so casually.

"Look at you. You can't even stand up," Phantom laughed. "I can't believe this. You thought you could outwit me? Didn't you?"

He leaned over, staring Link right in the face with his empty eyes. "Well, guess what, Link! I'm smarter than you! I'm smarter!"

Link drew back the Master Sword and plunged it into Phantom's throat, causing him to gasp.

"Oh yeah?" said Link, still with a trace of a cough. "Well, I'm quicker."

Link brought up his foot and rammed it into Phantom's stomach, sending him flying off in a hurry. Before his enemy could recover, Link managed to hoist himself off the ground and recompose himself. Tamil and Navi quickly accompanied him, not wanting to be anywhere near Phantom as he himself began to recover.

Amidst Saria's obvious screaming, Phantom leaned back his head, stretched, and began to laugh.

"Ha…ha-ha…good, touché," he chuckled. Blood still dripped from his neck, but he didn't seem to be feeling anything. It was as if Link hadn't even done anything to him.

"Do you know who I am, Link?" he asked offhandedly, rolling his wrists.

Link frowned, but didn't let his guard down, not this time. "The Guardian of Forest. A sick individual who thrives off of other people's suffering."

Phantom blinked. "Besides that?"

"You're an evil spirit…"

Phantom once again smiled. "Good. Glad to see we're on the same boat for the most part. Do you know what a spirit does, Link?"

Link shook his head. "I don't know everything about them."

"Well, let me enlighten you," he said excitedly. "As a spirit, Link, I know everything about you. I know who and what you know. I know what you fear, and by the gods that is the most useful power I have."

"You know what I fear?" asked Link backing up slightly.

Phantom nodded. "Everything. Perhaps I could show you?"

Phantom closed his eyes momentarily, and then reopened them, as one giant, bulging one. It was bright yellow, shining a bright light into Link's eyes. In the next instant, Phantom was surrounded by red mist and smoke, billowing above him in a spiral motion. The only thing that was still visible of him, was his new massive pulsating eye.

The smoke parted violently, and Link's heart nearly stopped.

He was once again faced with one of the first monsters he ever fought: Queen Gohma. She still bore the same menacing figure she had when Link clashed with her. Her top eyelid hung down, narrowing her vision to her target. Her massive supporting legs were still covered in the thick exoskeleton which resembled threatening armour. Her claws dug deep into the ground, keeping her enormous body stable. The greasy fur around her body swayed as she moved from side to side, as if setting up to pounce.

Link got a hold of himself. He killed Queen Gohma before; he could do it again. He got ready to re-enact that day over seven years ago when he had his first victorious battle.

Gohma stopped moving, but continued to fix her insidious gaze on Link. A large part of flesh under her eye—her mouth—opened.

"Heh…no, that's not quite it," said Gohma, in Phantom's voice. It was rather odd to see Gohma talk. "How about this?"

Gohma was once again surrounded in red smoke and mist momentarily. The same spiral column of smoke was once again here, and Link could only guess what form Phantom was going to take next.

The mist was swiftly banished once more, and Link was again faced with an old enemy: King Dodongo.

The massive tyrant sought revenge of what Link did to him so many years ago. His body was unharmed by the molten rock Link forced him into that fateful day, and he looked angrier than ever. His massive jaw opened and close, periodically revealing his ferocious, sword-like teeth. His muscular arms pulsed with blood, speedily traveling through his body to pump up energy for a massive assault. Smoke billowed out of his nostrils, rising into the darkness of the room, never to be seen again.

"No…that's still not the reaction I'm looking for," said King Dodongo. He looked at him intently, searching for something. After a moment he began to laugh. "Ah…aha! Perfect! That's the one, yes, that's the one!" He eyed Link darkly. "Watch this…"

Like Link expected, King Dodongo was veiled in the same red mist that Phantom relished. It swirled around the monstrous beast, concealing him, hiding him forever. Link continued to watch, puzzled. If he were not mistaken, Phantom would take on the form of the next powerful enemy he fought after King Dodongo; Barinade. He didn't feel threatened, since every from Phantom had taken, he had not made any such attempt to actually attack.

When the mist once again left the area, Link expected to hear the hiss of Barinade's internal electricity, but instead heard another sound: the grunt of a horse.

Phantom had taken the form of Ganondorf, mounted on his armoured steed. Link felt somewhat stupid for thinking that Phantom would do every enemy he fought in order before going for the big one. He sat there, one hand on the reins, the other holding a strange staff. It was somewhat like spear, except the head was of some artistic value. Instead of one blade, there were three, and they looked like they were made out of bone. One extended straight out, while the others went out to the sides, curving upwards as well. There was a glowing emblem in the centre of the blades, glowing bright orange. A strange energy emitted from the end of the weapon, sprinkling sparkles of pure magic towards the ground, as if it were overflowing with power. He had never seen Ganondorf hold something like this; why was Phantom holding it?

Phantom bore Ganondorf's recognizable grin, staring Link down with a vengeance. He trotted his steed up closer, causing Link to flinch and bring up his shield.

Phantom laughed. "Ah, yes. That's what I was looking for." His eyes glowed. "Well, allow me to introduce myself. I am Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil!"

Looking at Link, trying to look for a change in his facial expression, Phantom laughed again. "Well, not really."

Letting go of the reins, Phantom brought his free hand under his chin, and slowly began to pull the skin off as if it were some kind of mask. Under the skin, it didn't reveal gruesome details, but blue fire instead. Phantom continued to pull his face off, letting his head become completely consumed in bright blue flame.

When he finally pulled the entire face off, there was nothing left in his hand except for a few dying embers. What replaced Ganondorf's mug was something even worse. It almost looked like a mask, but almost too real to be artificial. It was a skull, lacking a jaw and a nasal cavity. The eye sockets were moulded and shaped to look like an evil stare. Two giant horns protruded out of the forehead, making it look like the remains of some kind of demon. The gem that Ganondorf had moulded onto his forehead was still there, however. Two glowing eyes eventually made their appearance behind the mask-like skull, glowing a bright yellow from behind the darkness of the eye sockets.

Now Phantom had taken the form of his own creation. It was this demonic skull, resting on Ganondorf's body.

A quick tug on the reins, and Phantom lifted his horse, his battering ram, up into the air, as if an invisible platform was raising him into the air.

"I think it is about time for me to reveal my real name…" said Phantom, in an entirely new and deep voice. He looked down at Link from the air as if he were some kind of insect. "I am Phantom Ganon. I am an entity composed of the essence of the Evil King."

Link looked up at the newly revealed Phantom Ganon. "So…is this your true form that you supposedly never reveal?"

Phantom Ganon laughed. "I suppose you can say that. I was originally created by Ganondorf unknowingly when he was a child. His dark thoughts manifested my into a physical being, but we never really met until we crossed paths during the Great War."

"You coward…" Link growled. "You hide your real identity in order to protect yourself."

Phantom Ganon's orange eyes glowed even brighter. "You impudent…that's it! I'll show you the difference between our strengths!"

Phantom Ganon angrily kicked off his horse, causing it to rear in a panic and begin to gallop in mid air, creating some kind of invisible ground before it to keep it aloft. Link brought up his shield to protect himself from the spirit's onslaught, but was surprised when he found that his enemy had simply travelled straight over his head. Link turned around and watched Phantom Ganon's horse travel determinedly towards one of the giant paintings. What was he doing? At this rate, he was going to crash right into it.

When the horses metal head made contact with the canvas, Link expected to hear a loud thump, followed by a destroyed picture falling to the floor, but instead he heard another strange sound. It sounded like a large machine starting up and beginning its opening processes, firing up its mechanisms.

Indeed, Link saw something rather odd. A strange purple light emanated from the canvas, swirling towards the point where the horse's nose touched it. It looked like a portal of some kind, sucking Phantom Ganon and his horse into some other dimension. Was he trying to escape? Link was right; Phantom Ganon was a coward.

Link's foe was ultimately sucked into the painting, the purple portal shutting violently with a loud snap. Link thought Phantom Ganon had escaped into another world, never to be seen again, but he stood corrected.

His enemy could still be seen in the painting, except he actually was _in_ the painting. His horse pounded its hooves brutally in the dirt path, charging towards the strange building at the end. A strange, ghostly laugh came from the painting as Phantom Ganon made his getaway, as if he was confident that he had made his escape completely. Phantom Ganon and his horse got smaller and smaller, galloping away into the distance in the world that the painting depicted. Link could only stand there and watch in disbelief, unable to do anything to stop him.

Eventually the Forest Guardian was gone, even the sound of his horse's hooves no more. Link was left in that dark, damp room, without a thought to think or a word to speak. His arms hung loosely by his sides, no longer ready for the intense combat he was expecting. He couldn't take his eyes off the now motionless painting, for he could only think of what Phantom Ganon was planning to accomplish by fleeing from the scene. The two fairies were silent also, most likely as dumbfounded as Link was. It didn't help the situation, since even Saria wasn't squirming anymore. She was alive, but dreadful thoughts of her dying up there made Link shiver. There were now only four people in this room, completely silent, stunned, unable to move…

…with their guards down, yet again.

The pounding of hooves reappeared behind him as if on queue. It was as if Link barely had any time to even turn around. He was directly in front of another picture, so he almost immediately knew what was coming. Phantom Ganon drove his horse directly towards him, heading off towards the centre of the room. He burst out of the painting as if he was a character immortalized in the canvas, now come to life. With a loud neigh, the horse leapt out of the picture amidst the same purple glow. With blinding speed, Phantom Ganon swung his staff below the horse's belly, aiming for Link's face. Luckily, it only met the steel of the Hylian Shield, surprisingly not splintering it with its sharp blades.

Link was almost sent the ground, however, since the impact was rather strong. As he stumbled back, he watched Phantom Ganon raise his staff into the air, letting the magic pouring out of it grow in propensity, attracting lightning bolts of energy from the walls, floor and ceiling, gathering in the emerald in the centre. Link could only hold his breath as he anticipated something massive.

Phantom Ganon cackled and swung the staff downwards again, letting a huge ray of energy let loose towards the floor, slamming into the stone, cracking it in the process, and spread out through the ground. The swarming electricity rushed towards Link, and he could only think of one thing. He didn't have Zora's Sapphire anymore, so that wasn't going to help him anymore. Once the electricity caught up to him, Link leapt up, bringing his feet up as high as possible, making his entire body turn over towards his stomach as the energy passed quickly under him. He barely missed the sizzling electricity as he landed on his belly, quickly getting to his feet and running forward, ignoring the pain. He missed his enemy, and Phantom Ganon once again made his escape back into another painting, laughing confidently.

"Damn it," Link cursed. "He's better than I thought. I can't get him."

"Link! We still have to save Saria!" Tamil yelled. "She'll be in danger if she's left up there!"

"She's right, Link," said Navi. "We should concentrate on getting her down from there before going after Phantom."

"Yeah, I know," said Link, looking around for signs of Phantom Ganon coming back. "But I can't reach that rope from here."

"We have to think of a way of cutting it without your sword," said Navi. "What about your new bow?"

"I don't have any arrows," said Link sombrely. "I used the only one I had on Meg."

"Look out!" screamed Tamil.

Phantom Ganon was making his way out of another painting, ready to strike again. Link got ready and watched carefully, ready to evade whatever he was about to throw at him to buy himself more time. The spirit burst out of the canvas, ready to resume his attack. The horse flew across the room in a giant leap, and Phantom Ganon once again swung his staff downward, summoning another bolt of energy.

Before Link jumped to dodge the magic again, he noticed something. It was something strapped to the saddle of Phantom Ganon's horse. It was like a long, wooden cylinder, held together with metal rings. Inside it rattled a set of about twenty or so arrows.

Link jumped, let the energy pass underneath him, and actually landed on his feet this time. He lifted up his head and watched Phantom Ganon once again disappear into the paintings.

"Well, looks like somebody answered my prayers," said Link. "Phantom Ganon has a holster full of them on his horse."

"Oh…" Navi mumbled. "You mean a quiver?"

"If that's what you call it, yes," said Link, keeping his guard up. "I have to get at it somehow."

There was a brief silence. Link didn't really wait for a response from the fairies, but still wanted one.

"Well what are you waiting for?" cried Tamil. "Hurry up and rescue Saria before something bad happens to her!"

"I know, I know," said Link. "I'm onto it."

Link ran towards the centre of the arena, keeping his footing light and agile. He spun around, looking to see where Phantom Ganon was going to come from. He carefully scanned each one, looking for signs of movement.

Phantom Ganon had proved to be much more powerful than Link first thought of him to be. He initially thought of him to be a misled and pretentious child, but now that he had revealed his true form, his skills were extremely admirable for the roll of Guardian. Link felt somewhat hopeless in the situation that he was in, but he still had the spark in him to at least get Saria to a safe distance instead of being suspended in the direct path of Phantom Ganon's horse.

There he was. Phantom Ganon was making his way back into the battlefield via another painting. His menacing eyes burned through the darkness of the picture, fixed on his enemy. Link hoped there wasn't going to be anything new that the spirit was going to reveal, since those lighting bolts of energy where almost too much to handle already.

Link fearlessly rushed over to the painting, determined to snag that quiver. He didn't dare let go of the Master Sword; Saria's life depended on that weapon. Link squinted when Phantom Ganon hit the painting, about to break loose.

Link stopped and got ready, holding the sword back to save time. He watched cautiously as the Forest Guardian slowly pulled free of the portrait's clutches. With a burst of energy, he ripped out of the canvas and launched into the room yet again.

This was Link's chance. Phantom Ganon was soaring over him, and the quiver on the saddle was clearly in sight. When the time was right, Link swung the sword violently upwards, cutting the rope that kept the quiver attached in half, causing it fall towards the ground. Link quickly outstretched his arm and let the arrows fall safely into his hand.

He looked at it happily, for he now had a use for his bow. He shook it a little, watching the arrows rattle inside. He pulled one out just to make sure that it was real, and not an illusion.

There was a sharp crackling noise behind him, and Link suddenly realized that he had forgotten that Phantom Ganon was still present. The next thing he knew, a sharp, bodily pain spread rapidly throughout his body, causing his body to jerk and squirm involuntarily. He saw flashes of bright blue light stream across his eyes, binding his bones together, strapping him to an electric leash.

He was flung into the air, spinning like mad but at least released from the electric storm infecting the ground. He hit the ground in a barrel-roll, and almost fell off the edge of the platform. He stopped luckily before the seven-foot drop, which would've probably finished him would he have fallen. He still had the Master Sword in his grip, but had unfortunately lost hold of the quiver which he needed. He spotted it a few feet away, with only a few arrows scattered.

Link hastily rolled onto his stomach, feeling the scrapes and bruises take effect. He could feel that his feet had been burnt slightly, but that wasn't going to stop him. Doing his best to ignore the pain, he slowly crawled over towards the fallen quiver as Phantom Ganon once again disappeared into one of the paintings.

Link, through once more blurred vision, watched his hand gradually drag his fallen body towards the quiver. He could see that some of the fabric was ripped and burnt, but his clothes were the last thing he should've been worrying about. He continued to focus on his goal, and sure enough he reached it in due time. After dragging the quiver towards himself, he quickly grabbed a stray arrow.

Suddenly, Link realized something. Since he was stuck here on the ground, unable to get up because of his feet, he would surely be dead the next time Phantom Ganon attacked. He had to stop him before he cast another spell, or else all of his efforts would be put to waste. There was only one way to delay him, and Link had to set himself up quick if he was going to pull this off.

Link, in a panic, reached to where he had fixed the bow to his belt, and detached it swiftly. Putting the Master Sword down temporarily, he took the arrow and attached it onto the string of the bow, and let it rest there. He looked around, and tried to see as best he could where Phantom Ganon was going to appear next. It was really hard to determine, since the spirits last attack had rendered him immobilized. He eventually spotted him, coming in from the picture on the left.

His heart now racing, Link grabbed hold of the arrow on the bow, and pulled back quickly, bringing it up to his eye as fast as he could. He watch the horse stampede towards him, probably not aware of what Link was trying to do. Link's arms shook as he continued to hold the arrow back, waiting for the right moment.

The horse slammed through the painting, causing the bright purple light to appear once more. The time still wasn't now, though, so Link continued to hold steady.

If he missed, he was dead; that was all there was to it. So, he had to make this shot true; his life depended on it.

Phantom Ganon burst out of the picture, his cruel staff already surging with power. Link bit his lip, and let the arrow fly. There was a subtle screeching noise as it ripped through the air, rending the atmosphere asunder. He prayed that it would hit. He didn't want to die, not now; he hadn't completed his goal.

Sure enough, Link breathed a huge sigh of relief when he heard Phantom Ganon grunt as his torso was knocked back. Link spotted the arrow sticking out of the thick black armour on his chest as he slowly fell back and slipped off the saddle of his horse. He plummeted towards the ground and landed hard on his demonic head, causing his body to jerk and fall limp.

The horse continued to travel, and rammed through the picture on the opposite side of the room. It eventually disappeared, supposedly gone forever. Phantom Ganon didn't seem to be moving, so now was Link's chance to get Saria down from there.

Swallowing his pride, Link tried to stand up. His feet stung, of course, but he had to stand up and take it if he was going to get out of this alive. He stumbled around for a bit before regaining his composure and looking up at Saria's limp body. She had evidently fainted, shocked from the violence. At least she wasn't seeing this; it wouldn't be good for her to see what Link was going to do to Phantom Ganon once he was through with him.

He had to make this quick; Phantom Ganon was surely going to be up and about momentarily.

Link reached down and picked up another arrow from the quiver, and slowly fixed it onto the string of the bow.

"Link…what…what are you doing! You're going to kill her!" Tamil screamed.

"Well…" said Link. "This is the only way I'm going to get her down from there. If I don't do this, she's going to die anyway."

"No!" cried Tamil. "I won't let you!"

"Tamil, calm down," Navi advised. "Sometimes you have to take a risk. I think Link and I have learned that taking risks is the only way you'll get anywhere."

"But…but…"

Link ignored Tamil and took aim. He carefully aimed a distinct distance from Saria's head, and kept the bow as steady as possible as he set his sights on the rope that kept her suspended. The rope twisted under Saria's weight, but remained relatively still nonetheless. Link let the arrow fly and immediately ran forward, cursing as the burns on his feet took their tool.

The arrow snapped the rope; causing Saria's wilted body to fall. She landed safely in Link's arms, virtually unharmed.

Link began to carry her towards the edge of the platform, and slowly lowered her delicate body towards the ground. After desperately trying to stay alive just a second ago, it was odd to act so gently so soon. He felt somewhat overwhelmed, as he felt as if he was lowering her dead corpse into her grave. He didn't know why he felt this way, or why such horrible thought had entered his mind.

"Okay, guys," he said to the two fairies. "I want you to guard her. Make sure nothing happens to her. Got it?"

Tamil slowly hovered down and landed on Saria's nose. "Oh…Saria…" she mumbled under her breath.

"I'll take that as a yes," said Link as he rose to his feet.

Link turned his head to see Phantom Ganon at his feet, arms crossed. It looked like had given him time to finish up before they continued.

"How…sentimental," he muttered.

"What would you know about it?" growled Link.

Phantom Ganon was silent for a moment, but eventually chuckled softly. "I suppose not much. Shall we continue?"

"Ready whenever you are," Link replied, picking up the Master Sword off the ground, and getting ready.

Phantom Ganon lifted up his head, looking at nothing in particular. "Good…"

He leapt off the ground suddenly, his staff reappearing in his hand, the sparks of energy snapping out like mad. He soared in the air, floating left and right; evasive manoeuvres. This was it; it was now time to fight him, one-on-one. It was going to be brutal, Link knew, but he thought of it as something to live by, scars to gloat about. This was something beyond anything he had ever faced. Phantom Ganon was far more advanced of a threat than Queen Gohma, more intelligent than King Dodongo, and could control a lot more energy than Barinade. He was going to be quite the challenge, but Link was ready for him.

Link drew his sword back, brought up his shield, and crouched slightly. He watched Phantom Ganon, and he watched him back just as intently. Link tensed as his enemy began to flip his sinister staff around in his hand. It spun like a propeller, cutting the air around it, building up steam as Phantom Ganon brought it behind his back. Soon the energy transformed into a bright glowing ball of energy, pulsating with power. It was so bright it almost blinded Link, but he kept ready.

"Try this!" Phantom Ganon roared as he swung the staff forward, launching the magic ball towards Link. It sizzled and hummed as it travelled steadily through the air, leaving a trail of excess energy behind, marking its trail. Link didn't think it would be a good idea to rely on his shield to protect himself. Wincing due to the pain in his feet, he jumped out of the way, letting the energy ball slam into the ground, burning out like dying embers on a soaked torch.

Phantom Ganon was not slowed. He began preparing another ball, causing Link to attempt to brainstorm a way to get him to stop. Phantom Ganon launched his second attack, and this time the ball went much faster; Link didn't have time to get out of the way this time. He didn't have time to think. He had to rely on his instincts this time. Out of mere reflex, Link recklessly swung his sword upwards, making contact with the energy ball. He thought that the electricity stored in the sphere would travel up the metal of the Master Sword and up his arm, most likely killing him. Instead, though, he simply knocked it away as if it were a physical thing being tossed at him. It flew off to the right and made contact with the wall, burning out just as quickly as the first one.

Link got an idea.

When he looked back at Phantom Ganon, already creating a third orb, he got ready. Link's foe fired the magic, even quicker than before. It seemed as if he was getting impatient. Link timed himself carefully, and swung his sword just before the energy made contact with his skin. He was careful in the way he hit it; he wanted it to go where he wanted it. The ball soared back towards Phantom Ganon, and Link caught him in a panic. He was simply caught off guard by Link's sudden acts.

Link smiled; this time it was Phantom Ganon who was caught off-guard.

Out of a reaction as reckless as Link's, Phantom Ganon swatted the energy ball back towards Link with the end of his staff. Link's heart dropped once he noticed that the projectile was travelling even faster than before. He had to be quicker.

Link nailed the energy ball yet again with the Master Sword, changing its course back to Phantom Ganon. As expected, the Forest Guardian did the same and knocked it back towards Link.

The process continued for a few moments. Each time someone hit the orb, its speed increased significantly. Within seconds, Link found himself forced to swing his sword left and right vigorously in order to keep up. They both were struggling to keep up with the ball, making sure they weren't the one who would be humiliated in the end.

Link thought quick, and hit the ball as hard as he could. It shot up towards Phantom, who was too late.

It smashed into his chest, quickly spreading throughout his body. The evil spirit jerked, fell back, and eventually lost control of his flight and crashed down towards the ground, landing on his back.

Link had to act now. Gripping the Master Sword tight, he rushed his enemy while he was still vulnerable. His jaw pressed hard against his upper row of teeth as he charged, watching Phantom Ganon lie there, tiny shocks of electricity jumping on his body occasionally. Not taking any chances, Link jumped up on top of his enemy, and began to finish him off.

He showed no mercy. He brutally and viciously stabbed Phantom Ganon's chest, repeatedly, not stopping. He began to hyperventilate as he began to attack his face. He hacked left and right, spraying chips of bone, and actually taking off one of his horns. He eventually went back to his chest, letting the blood pour out of it like a geyser. It sprayed all over Link's body, but he did not care. He was doing this for everyone that Phantom Ganon had harmed, including the Deku Tree.

Suddenly, Link was cut short. Phantom Ganon had kneed him in the stomach, and then cross-checked him in the chest with his staff, sending Link to the ground. Link slid, completely winded once again. He came to a stop, finding himself coughing and wheezing like he was a few moments ago.

He looked beyond to see Phantom Ganon rising to his feet, blood all over his body, still pouring out of the cuts and gashes Link had created. It was as if he felt no pain, unaffected by mortal blows.

"Wh…what…?" Link groaned, looking at Phantom Ganon in disbelief.

"Little prick…" Phantom Ganon growled. "You know one doesn't look fashionable with blood all over his attire."

Link winced on the ground, feeling the damaged parts of his body begin to throb and swell. "Why…won't…you…die!"

"You stupid kid!" Phantom Ganon roared. "I am a spirit! I can't be killed by such conventional means of that wretched sword you wield! I'm immortal. I don't feel pain, whatever that feels like."

Link didn't want to believe that Phantom Ganon didn't feel pain, but it made a lot of sense. That was why when he stabbed him in the throat when he took the form of Saria he didn't just drop dead like a mortal would. It made even more sense now, after Link's fierce attack that he was still standing.

"You…you…" Link moaned, unable to even move. "I…can't…"

"Kill me? Well, I would suppose that would be obvious at this point," said Phantom Ganon, stretching his neck. "Ganondorf was a fool for having you as a main target. What an inferior being!"

Phantom Ganon looked onward, beginning to rant. "That idiot…what is he doing running us, anyway? We, the Five Guardians, should be ruling over the land ourselves, without an incompetent leader telling us what to do." He stroked his chin. "Yes…yes…that's what I should do. I am just as capable as him…once I get rid of this kid, and after he brings me up to replace Lord Kanakana, I will murder him! Yes! That's what I'll do! In his sleep, yes…I will kill him while he is asleep! It's perfect! He'd never know what hit him!"

"You'd…" moaned Link. "You'd kill…your own…master?"

"Ha!" laughed Phantom Ganon. "Why not? It's not like he ever did much for me, anyway! What has he ever given me?"

"_Well, for one thing, I blessed you with life,"_ boomed a voice. It was dark, deep, monstrous and threatening. Link looked around in somewhat of a panic to see who had entered the room, but no one was present. However, Phantom Ganon seemed to be in a panic.

"M-Master!" he cried.

It seemed that Ganondorf had heard what Phantom Ganon had said, and what he planned to do. How he was able to communicate from a distance, Link had no idea, but he became somewhat worried about what was going to happen.

"_So, was that your plan all along, Forest Guardian?"_ asked Ganondorf. _"A clever plan to get rid of me, was it?"_

"N…no!" Phantom Ganon screamed. "No! It wasn't like that! I…I…"

"_Don't take me for a fool, spirit!"_ boomed Ganondorf. _"Traitor!"_

"Please, Master!" yelled Phantom Ganon, dropping to his knees. "Have mercy!"

"_Phantom, you worthless creation!"_ roared Ganondorf._ "You have no appreciation for what I have given you!"_

"No…please…" Phantom Ganon sobbed.

"_Perhaps you might learn to respect what I have given you by taking it away? Like your immortality!"_

Phantom Ganon looked up in fear and desperation. "No! Please! Not that!"

"_Be gone, Forest Guardian. I have lost all faith in thee…" _said Ganondorf, his voice fading.

There was silence, the room only filled with the sounds of Phantom Ganon's quivering voice. Link had no idea what was going on either. Ganondorf's voice had spontaneously appeared out of nowhere, and had now threatened Phantom Ganon's immortality.

Suddenly, Link's thoughts were all answered when a large ray of light shown down from ceiling, sucking up energy from Phantom Ganon's body. It rung at an ear-piercing tone, causing Link to cover his ears. He saw his enemy consumed by the light, streams of liquid-like energy escaping from him.

"No! Noooo!" he screamed as the energy overtook him. The liquid energy flowing out of his body, which looked like it was floating up through water, flowed out faster and faster as the light grew in strength. Other things were seen amongst the energy, including what Link thought looked like feathers. For some reason, he thought of them of the feathers of angels, beings that were blessed with eternal life and salvation. The life of the angels was leaving Phantom Ganon, as he slowly became mortal by Ganondorf's magic. For once, Ganondorf's magic had been unintentionally used for good, ridding the world of a terrible being. It was through Ganondorf's rage that Phantom Ganon was losing his power, and Link couldn't be more thankful. Ganondorf had Link's thanks, for now at least.

The energy eventually stopped coming out of Phantom Ganon's body, and the light slowly faded, along with his immortality. He simply stood there, in the same position he was in when the light hit him. He was shaking all over, smoking emerging from underneath his armour.

He froze momentarily, and eventually fell back, slammed to the floor, and ceased to move.

Link let his head lean back. He sighed for what seemed like minutes. There was no time for relaxing just yet; Link had to check on Saria. He wouldn't know what he would do if she had been hurt during the fight. Growling through his teeth, Link managed to once again hoist himself off the ground, bringing himself to his feet.

His entire body was in a mess. He felt as if every bone in his body had been broken, every muscle tendon pulled. There were bruises, cuts, and burns all over his skin, but that wasn't going to stop him from reaching Saria. Phantom Ganon was now out of the way, and he could now easily get to her, and get her out of there.

He began to limp forward towards her position. It looked like Navi and Tamil had successfully guarded her during the onslaught, as they were still standing beside her. Link limped even faster as he got more and more confident that she was okay. He bit his lip as the pain got worse, but he took it. He let the pain get absorbed into his body, without any damage to his resolve.

After a few moments he eventually reached her, and kneeled beside her tiny body. He could see her eyes beginning to open, and her breathing begin to become more stable.

"Hey, it looks like she's coming around," said Link.

"Yeah," said Tamil. "She's fine."

Saria's eyes opened more, and eventually she started to blink.

"Saria?" Tamil whispered. "Saria? Can you hear me?"

Saria stared at her guardian fairy for a moment, and her mouth slowly opened. "H…huh? Tamil…where am I?"

Tamil was a tiny, quiet sprite, but even Link could tell when she was crying.

"You're still in the Forest Temple," said Navi, covering for Tamil. "There's nothing to worry about. Phantom is dead."

Saria smiled. "Is…is he? How?"

"Link," said Navi. "He came and rescued you."

"Navi!" Link whispered.

"Oh…" said Saria as she closed her eyes, feeling faint. "He…did? Where…is he?"

"Right here," said Navi. "He's right here beside you."

"Saria…" Tamil sobbed.

"Link…" said Saria, gaining more strength. She was looking at him. Link didn't think he had ever seen her more happy. "Thank you…I knew you would come…I knew it…you'd never abandon me, would you?"

Link smiled back, feeling some tears of his own build up in his eyes. "No…" he whispered. "Never. I'd never let anyone touch you. I'll never forget what you did for me."

Saria laughed weakly. "You always keep your promises, Link. That's what I like about you…"

She was so happy. She was happy that she was finally safe, now in Link's comfort and not in the vile clutches of the Forest Guardian.

"We have to get out of here," said Link, wiping off a tear from his cheek. "Let's go back to the forest."

"Oh…okay," said Saria as she slowly sat up, making everyone flinch. "I…I think I can walk on my own…"

"Saria…you don't have enough strength…" said Link. "I'll carry you. It's no problem."

"Okay…" said Saria. "I guess you're right."

Link looked over to his left. He spotted the quiver still on the ground. It would come in handy if he took it. After all, it had proved of great worth during the fight.

"All right," said Link. "Wait here. I'll be right back; I have to go get something."

"Don't be long," said Saria, her voice almost fully recovered.

Link nodded and got up, once again leaving Saria in the care of the two fairies. He limped towards the quiver, lying unharmed on the ground. He was dimly reminded of that moment when he was almost rat bait. He came so close to dying at that moment, but had pulled through luckily and not only saved his own life, but another's. He was thankful to the gods for their mercy and favouring the good over evil.

Although, sometimes evil was aided by the gods, for reasons Link knew not of.

He reached down and picked up the quiver, once again shaking its contents; he needed to get out of that habit. He began to collect the two stray arrows scattered on the floor, putting them in their rightful place. He found that there was a leather strap attached to the quiver, to which it could easily be placed on his belt alongside the hookshot that Sheik gave him about an hour ago.

It took him a moment, but he eventually got it in a spot which he liked. He felt pretty confident now. Despite the fact that he was badly beaten, and in pretty much no shape to fight, he was satisfied.

Link flinched, he heard movement behind him.

He spun around, and spotted something horrifying. Phantom Ganon rose from the ground, using his wretched staff to hoist himself to his knees. He faced Saria with an insidious stare, full of fury.

That's when Link realized it. Ganondorf had not killed Phantom Ganon, but only taken his immortality away. He had yet to be killed.

Saria nor the fairies seemed to notice Phantom Ganon rising; they were vulnerable.

Link couldn't find words to say. He couldn't scream. He couldn't shout. He couldn't warn the others of the impending danger. He could only watch frozenly as Phantom Ganon struggled to keep himself stable despite his obvious wounds.

He began to talk. Saria couldn't hear him, Navi couldn't hear him, Tamil couldn't hear him, but Link could, somehow.

"Miserable girl…" he growled viciously under his breath. "You…you took everything from me. I have nothing now! What have you done to me!"

Phantom Ganon drew back his staff and began to charge up energy. He was creating another one of those electric balls that he attacked Link with earlier. He was going to kill Saria! Link had to stop him, but he was too far away to do anything, and he didn't have enough time to use his bow and arrow. The only thing he could do was warn them in a desperate hope to save the one he thought he had already rescued.

"Saria! Look out!" he screamed, finally finding the words to shout.

Saria and the others looked to their right, finding the enemy seemingly risen from beyond the grave, ready to attack. Saria's eyes widened with utter fear, and she simply froze, unable to move.

"No…" Link muttered under his breath. "Run! Run!"

Phantom Ganon drew his staff back even further, ready to strike. He swung it forward, sending a large ball of powerful energy directly towards Saria.

"Saria! No!" screamed Tamil as she took off from the ground and up in front of the Kokiri she swore to protect. She flew directly into Phantom Ganon's magical attack, and was completely consumed by it instantly.

Her body shook and jolted as the magic sunk into her, but not Saria. She had taken the blow for her, and now was paying the price. The ball surrounding her shrunk as it electrocuted her body with its remaining strength. It eventually disappeared with a loud snap, causing Tamil to jerk violently and eventually drop limp to the floor like a falling blossom.

"Tamil!" cried Saria, putting her hands to her head and leaning over her guardian fairy.

Link had no idea how fast his heart was racing as he watched Phantom Ganon slowly struggle to turn around and try to make a break for it. Link clenched his teeth together so tightly he thought he was going to crush them into dust. The veins in his forehead felt like they were going to explode. He thought he was going to die of a heart attack. That was it. He had had enough. Phantom Ganon had murdered the Great Deku tree, and had poisoned Link's soul, and now he had attempted to kill his best friend.

He stopped Phantom Ganon dead in his tracks with a single sound; the screech of the Master Sword being ripped out its scabbard.

"You…bastard!" screamed Link, letting his lungs get rid of all the air they contained. He ran forward, faster than he knew he could run. All the pain in his body disappeared, for the pain in his heart was completely overpowering it. His rage censored every other emotion in his body, and put itself at full. He had never been so angry. His eyes burned with wrath, fixed on the now mortal Forest Guardian, who seemed to be getting ready to stab Link in the chest with his staff. Phantom Ganon was on his feet, drawing his weapon back as if it were a spear.

Link knew exactly how to stop him.

In a quick move Link thrust forward and stabbed Phantom Ganon in the gut, letting his blood spill all over the floor. Phantom's arms shook, and he dropped his staff. He slowly looked down at where Link had stabbed him, watching the blood ooze out like a fountain.

"What…is…this!" he cried, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"That?" said Link, keeping the Master Sword imbedded in Phantom Ganon's stomach. "That's pain!"

Link withdrew the sword from Phantom Ganon's body, and slashed it across his torso diagonally. Blood spurted everywhere, causing the Forest Guardian to stumble back, and eventually stand there, staring at Link.

"You'll grow accustomed to it…" Link growled.

Phantom Ganon stood there frozenly, blood covering his entire body. He dropped to his knees, but still didn't take his gaze off Link. In time, his glowing eyes faded, and eventually disappeared. He fell face-first onto the ground, and the blood began to make a pool around his body.

Link put the Master Sword back into its scabbard, and continued to look at the corpse of the Forest Guardian. He finished his sentence.

"…as you burn in Hell!"

* * *

**-Author's Notes-**

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Some of you might've noticed, but this is the longest chapter I have ever written. That might explain why it took so long. I'm really proud of this one; I hope you all enjoyed it!

Looking forward to some good reviews!

-Crimson Water


	25. Generations

25

_Generations_

_The Forest Temple sat still on one of the higher points in the Lost Woods. The colour of its exterior provided somewhat of a camouflage from an aerial view. The vines that covered its dome roof coloured it in such a way that it blended in with the surrounding canopy, becoming one with the lush, dense forest._

_It would only be really seen clearly on ground level, but the towering trees and plants blocked any kind of view from it to one of human height. It would truly be a sight to behold were the forest not there to any passing travellers. It would loom over the horizon more prominently than most landmarks in Hyrule. The Forest Temple was one of the few barriers that were built in order to be seen, unlike most of the others which had been built in secret to avoid trespassers and looters._

_Without the Deku Tree's magic to support the life of the woods, the temple became the last source of the unexplained that the forest needed to sustain itself. Unfortunately, since the structure was under the control of Phantom Ganon—ultimately Ganondorf—it could easily affect the forest with its malevolent corrosion._

_The power of the Great Deku Tree prevented this from happening for centuries, but after his untimely death, the Forest Temple was free to wreak havoc within the borders of the woodland._

_It wasn't always like this. When the ancient Sage of Forest designed, constructed, and blessed the architecture of the Forest Temple, he originally intended it to be a monument to the forest spirits, and to serve as a supplier of extra life for the wood. He never intended it to fall into evil hands, for it would reverse the magic flow to the opposite polar energy, resulting in contaminating the purity of the Forbidden Forest._

_When Phantom Ganon took control of the structure, what the ancient Sage feared came to being, and it began to emit dark energy. The Great Deku Tree managed to keep the overflowing energy at bay, but after he passed away, the forest began to die._

_Monsters began to appear out of nowhere, invading places where they were never meant to go, including the village where the Kokiri tribe lived. They were forced into their homes, forbidden to exit except during times where it was necessary._

_Life in the forest seemed to become the exact opposite of what it was intended for. It originally stood as the source of life, where most creatures were born and released into the world. Now, it would be more ideal to live somewhere else with all of the chaos that happened every day._

_The Kokiri couldn't leave; they were told by the Great Deku Tree that they would die if they tried to._

_The Forest Temple began to hum, churning with energy and power. The dark energy that it poured into the ground, into the soil, began to change direction. It slowly lifted up, rising out of the blades of grass surrounding, no longer poisoning the ground, but contaminating the air instead. From a distance, it looked like massive, dark tentacles were rising out of the temple's base, as if it were coming to life, ready to finish the forest off in a staggering blow. The tentacles swayed in the wind, partly falling apart as the breeze carried some of their mass into the air. They swept over the trees, licking the leaves that blocked out the sun. They were flung into the air, turning into shades of orange, red, and brown almost on contact. They were swept towards the Forest Temple, being consumed by the darkness. They began to spin, circling around the structure in a spiral motion, like a giant tornado had just touched base with the temple. The tentacles were also sucked into the spinning cyclone, firing upwards as hard as they tried to remain level. The tentacles, the roots of the temple, began to spin in the wind as well, disintegrating and melding into one giant mass, blocking out the sun in certain areas. The Forest Temple was completely in shadows, overwhelmed by the spinning darkness surrounding its walls. The wind howled, the ground roared. More and more leaves were ripped of the branches of the trees and joined the anarchy, only adding to the bulk of the tornado. The entire forest panicked, rustling and waving in the strong winds that came from the Forest Temple. The darkness infected the sky, creating dark storm clouds, converting the bright blue sky into a hazy orange colour. Lighting flashed, striking the tornado occasionally. Dust and debris was lifted off of the Forest Temple's borders. The ground rumbled as one large earthquake shook the heavens, almost ripping the surrounding ground asunder._

_Light. In a giant blaze, brighter than that of fire, the dark mass was instantly converted by an unseen force. The dark tentacles, now one giant mass, were soaked with white pigment, shining brighter than the sun. The dark energy had been completely reversed into blessed light magic, invigorating the life of the forest. The dead leaves caught in the spiral regained their original green shades, fused with life without the aid of the trees they once thrived off of. The twister lowered towards the ground, becoming almost liquid-like. It spread through the forest like a tidal wave, filling the woodland with a lake of pure magic. Nothing was physically affected by the rush of power; not a speck of dust was moved because of it. The energy sunk into the ground, sinking between the spaces between the particles of soil, planting itself among the foliage._

_After a few minutes, the Forbidden Forest was one again quiet and tranquil. The Forest Temple stopped humming, and had fallen silent, no longer manufacturing malevolent energy._

_The Forest Barrier had been destroyed._

_

* * *

_

"Tamil…" Saria whispered. She could not take her eyes off her guardian fairy, lying on the ground, breathing hard, shards of the energy ball still jumping on her body. She was still alive, but not without injury. A blast like that to such a tiny sprite would've been devastating. If it was enough to injure Link to the point where he could barely stand up, he had no idea how much if would affect a defenceless fairy.

Link approached the scene, still limping. He knelt down beside Tamil, like everyone else. The sprite was almost completely motionless. One arm was over her forehead, the other simply on the ground, not even twitching. She was breathing, but it looked like she was struggling.

Link didn't know what to do. He might've had a chance of aiding a human, but he didn't know the first thing about fairies and how to heal them, or if it was even possible.

"Saria…" said Tamil, barely able to speak. Her eyes opened weakly, trying as best they could to lock eyes with Saria.

"Tamil, don't speak," said Saria, tears building up in her eyes. "You need to rest…you just need to lie down for a bit…"

Tamil smiled. "Heh-heh…nah…I don't think that's going to do much." She coughed. Opening her eyes slowly, she spoke again. "Saria…I came here…to save you…"

"I know you did," said Saria. "But why didn't you just leave it to Link? He would've brought me back…"

"We tried to convince her otherwise," Link explained. "She refused to stay behind."

"I'd never…abandon you…Saria…" Tamil whispered.

"But Tamil," sobbed Saria. "You didn't need—"

"I…made a promise, the day you were born," said Tamil, cutting Saria off. "I swore…to the Great Deku Tree…that I would protect you…no matter what…"

Saria was silent. She just continued to shake her head. Link recalled memories of talking to Kaepora Gaebora as he lay dying outside the walls of Hyrule Castle Town.

"I promised…" said Tamil. "That I would never abandon…you…even if it meant…dying…"

Saria gasped. "No, Tamil, don't die!"

Tamil began to struggle to breath. "I'm sorry…I couldn't be of any more help…"

Tears were streaming out of Saria's eyes. Link was having a hard time watching all this. He wanted to turn away, but that would be the wrong thing to do. He had to show respect. Even though he'd been with Tamil for only a short time, he felt as if he was losing his own fairy as well.

"Tamil…please…don't…" begged Saria, pleading Tamil to live.

Tamil, despite her fading state, took all of her remaining energy and forced a smile. "I've done everything…that I was born to do…I…let you live, Saria…that's all I ever wanted…I've fulfilled my purpose…"

"You don't deserve to die, Tamil!" screamed Saria. "It should've been me! I'm the one who dragged you into this!"

"Don't…say that…" said Tamil, almost completely gone. "The world…needs you, Saria…you need to fulfill your destiny…just like I have…" She swallowed, her voice shaking, her sight darkening. "Do what you were destined to do…Saria…become a Sage…save the world…I know you can do it…"

Her eyes rolled back, and her eyelids slowly covered them up. She slowly stopped breathing, and her bright pink glow died along with her, leaving only a pale-skinned being behind, never to move again.

Saria's hands were shaking, unable to see Tamil without her lively glow. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She simply mouthed Tamil's name, and broke down. Link looked at Navi, who was also rubbing her eyes somewhat. Link could only wonder what was going through her mind right now, seeing another fairy that she knew closely die in front of her. Instead of Tamil dying, she might've seen herself, since Tamil looked strangely like Navi, despite the obvious differences in the colours of their radiances.

Link couldn't help but get chills looking at Tamil's dead body, without any glow at all. She didn't even look like a fairy anymore. Even her wings seemed like they had disappeared.

Link briefly changed his gaze to Phantom Ganon's corpse, lying several feet away, and that's when he realized something. No matter what happens, if there is a small fight or a giant war, there are always casualties on either side, and sacrifices are always made in order to achieve victory.

Link looked back at Tamil's body, and shook his head. How did she know about the Sages? How did she know that Saria was destined to become one? Did she know the entire time, or did some invisible force let her realize the truth as her life escaped from her? It was probably something that would never be answered.

Death came to all, and Tamil was no exception. She lived in order to protect Saria, and she ended her life only for that purpose. She died happy, and not the least bit in vain.

"Tamil…" sobbed Saria, trying to pull herself together. "What…your dying wish…" She turned urgently towards Link. "Link…do you know what she meant by becoming a Sage?"

Link stood there, trying to hide his emotions. He tried his best not to bring Saria's thoughts back to Tamil.

"Yes," he replied.

Saria's eyes widened. "You…you do?" She looked desperate. "Please, Link! Tell me how to become a Sage. I need to know how I can be one…whatever a Sage does. Do you know how?"

Link bit his lip. No one ever told him how to make someone a Sage. All they ever told him was that he had to kill the guardian of the barrier, and then the Sage would be awakened. They never told him to do anything to actually get the Sage to awaken. He thought that the barriers acted as muffles to block out the cry of the gods and prevent the chosen few from hearing their awakening call. Why was Saria still not hearing the beckoning call into the Sacred Realm?

Before Link could answer Saria's question, something grabbed his attention. The Master Sword, stored safely in its scabbard on his back, began to vibrate in quick, short pulses, as if it were reacting to something.

If Saria could still not hear the gods calling her name, then was Link supposed to act as the medium for communication? When Link pulled the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, the weapon acted as a Link between Hyrule and the Sacred Realm, allowing him to enter it.

Maybe, if the Master Sword was reacting to the gods' call, then perhaps it would serve as the link between the two worlds as it did seven years ago?

"Saria," said Link, now knowing what he had to do. "Before I do this, are you absolutely sure you want to become a Sage?"

Saria nodded immediately. "I…I want to help you, Link. If it will help you save the world, then I'll do it, for Tamil's sake as well. I wont let her sacrifice be in vain."

Link nodded. "Very well."

Link slowly pulled the Master Sword out of its scabbard, and let its subtle blue light reveal itself. It definitely was reacting to something, and Link could only hope it was responding to the right thing. He presented the blade to Saria, letting her look at the gem that was fixed in the centre of the hilt.

The longer Saria looked at the sword, the brighter it glowed. Link looked at the gem as well, and was bewildered as it slowly changed from golden yellow to a florescent green, shining brighter than the sword's blade.

Saria's eyes slowly widened as she continued to stare at the gem. The green light grew so quickly that it almost engulfed the entire room. Her eyes slowly became consumed by the light, almost glowing in a radiance of their own. It was working; she was hearing the awakening call.

There was a bright flash, and Link was instantly blinded. He cursed and covered his eyes, stumbling back. There was a high-pitched ringing in his ears due to the loud crack that he heard. He tripped on something, something protruding out of the ground and fell backwards, landing on his back yet again. The ground he landed on was cold, and almost felt wet. It was as if he landed on some kind of ice. It chilled his back, his spine. It felt as if it was moving, but so cold as if it were some kind of undead being.

Link opened his eyes, expecting to see the roof of the Forest Temple, but instead saw darkness.

When Link looked around, he found himself in a dark void, being supported by a watery platform. Its texture, its ever changing shades of blue, automatically let him know where he was. He looked around to be certain. Indeed, he saw other similar platforms, seemingly held up by waterfalls of the same strange blue liquid. They all went into the distance, in everlasting rows. It almost made him dizzy looking at them, for these were sights that not just any mortal was allowed to see. They faded into the darkness, possibly moving, but he wasn't certain.

If he were now back in the Chamber of Sages, then he must've successfully transformed Saria into a Sage…but where was she?

He looked down, and found that he was standing on the same Triforce that he had been when he talked to Rauru. Its golden surface shimmered in this dream-like world, shivering in the cold.

He looked slightly off to the left, to the yellow platform where Rauru had been standing before, but now was nowhere to be found. Although the only thing displayed on it was air, Link still felt some kind of presence there, still watching him.

This was rather confusing. Rauru was already a Sage to begin with…how come he wasn't here now?

Link's train of thought was suddenly ended when a loud ringing noise came from the right. He turned to look at the emerald green platform, which now had a bright blue light shining out of its surface. It looked almost identical to the light that helped him escape from the Deku Tree. It spun confidently, but not so fast that it looked like something bad was going to happen.

Out of the blue light rose Saria, as if brought up by some kind of elevator. She bore the brightest smile, and looked almost like some kind of magical being amidst the azure glow. It almost made her look even happier. Her entire body was eventually visible, and the cerulean luminosity faded and died. What was left was Saria simply standing on her own platform, just as Rauru had.

She looked like the child of an angel, standing almost casually in the surreal world that was the Sacred Realm. The ambient glow of the platform lit her face in a sky-blue light. Her sapphire eyes absorbed the light, making them glitter and shine through her bangs. She stood ever so still, as if she were a holy relic, never to be touched by tainted hands.

She slowly opened her mouth.

"Thank you…" she said softly, as if she was trying to comfort him. Her voice echoed off the infinite walls of the Chamber of Sages. The echoes made her tiny voice seem otherworldly, as if coming from Heaven itself. "Because of you, I could awaken as a Sage…"

It looked like when someone became a Sage, all of the knowledge of the Sages was passed down to them as well. Saria didn't seem like she was full of questions, either; only answers. She was now blessed with infinite knowledge of the world, and probably understood more about life that Link.

"I am Saria," she went on. "The Sage of the Forest Temple."

Link's eyes narrowed. Why was she introducing herself to him? Had something happened to her during the process of becoming a Sage?

"Saria…" said Link. "Don't you remember me?"

Saria smiled. "I always believed that you would come, because I know you."

It sure didn't seem like she knew him. She was surely acting strange, now that she had become the Sage of Forest. He had to explain everything to her. He had to explain why he did what he did, in order for her to understand what becoming a Sage meant.

"No…" said Saria before Link could say anything. "You don't have to explain it to me, because it is destiny that you and I can't live in the same world."

Link could only stand there and shake his head. He felt like he was about to cry again. He had came all this way, left Saria for all these years, and had come back to rescue her only to say goodbye to her again. Saria had been his friend ever since he could remember, and now they were parting ways, as a mortal being and a spiritual guardian. He wished it didn't have to be like this, but just as Saria said, this had to be destiny.

"Don't be depressed," said Saria with a bright smile. "I will stay here as the Forest Sage and help you. Don't think of it as a goodbye in any way."

Unable to hold back his tears, Link could only nod. He wanted to believe it wasn't saying goodbye, but the fact that he'd never see Saria in Hyrule again pained him deeply.

"Now…" Saria went on. "Please, take this medallion…"

Saria lifted up her arms and looked towards the sky, causing the entire area to darken. She was apparently casting a spell, but what was she talking about when she mentioned a medallion?

Link recalled another memory of when he returned to Hyrule for the first time. Rauru had entrusted him with the Light Medallion, which contained his power. Was Saria doing the same?

Link looked up, and saw a flash of green light. A spinning disc plummeted towards the ground, summoned from the heavens. Link outstretched his hand, letting the medallion land safely in his palm. He looked at it momentarily, examining the design carved into it. There were four slender, curved shapes, all spinning around in a spiral, resembling a hurricane. Link thought of it as symbolizing wind, as air was the most pure in the forest.

"This medallion contains my power," said Saria. "Please, take it. It will help me aid you in your quest."

The medallion shimmered in Link's hand, and eventually decomposed into hundreds of green sparkles, all instantly moving. They glittered and rung as they began to make their way around his body, absorbing his essence and merging it with their own.

Link braced himself for the same agonizing pain that he felt when he touched the Light Medallion, but found himself virtually unharmed as the energy continued to surround him, become one with him. He felt a slight breeze originate from the ground, and slowly sweep around his legs. His hair began to sway upwards as the wind grew stronger and the tiny glowing particles continued to merge with his body. It whirled by his ears, making a noise in his ears to the same effect as blowing over the top of a bottle. His body remained perfectly still, for he did not want to disturb the process of the magic being absorbed into him, but yet his clothes rippled, his equipment rattled, and eyes began to water, as if half of him refused to be consumed by Saria's magic. He felt as if his entire body was glowing green as the Forest Medallion merged with him, but it was merely the light of the medallion that was being sucked into his skin below his clothes, eventually disappearing, particle after particle.

He felt almost invigorated as he obtained the Forest Sage's power, as if it had strengthened him with new life. He felt the pain in his feet go away. He felt his cuts closing and healing. He felt the scrapes, bruises, and pretty much every other injury that Phantom Ganon had inflicted upon him.

Saria was healing him with her newly acquired powers…but why?

With a dying ring, the light disappeared, and Link was as good as new. He could only look bewildered at little Saria's smiling face. A child helping an adult…it seemed somewhat absurd, but once Link thought about it, although Saria was still only a small child physically, she was still about as old as he was. Even the most powerful evil magic cannot stop people from changing, growing more mature and aware of the environment surrounding them. It could not stop people's judgement, and would never come close to diminish the act of forgiveness. People would always think for themselves, despite how much they were forbidden to.

The flow of time is always cruel; its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it.

One thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days.

Saria had awakened as a Sage, and had added her power to Link's. Together, along with the other Sages that would be awakened, they would crush Ganondorf's stranglehold on Hyrule, and hopefully be able to build a new and better world for everyone. Perhaps it wasn't really goodbye, after all. Saria would continue to live in Link's heart, and nothing would ever change that, even if they weren't living in the same world together. If she was helping him stop Ganondorf, then she might as well have been at Link's side the whole time.

Link's feet began to sink through the floor, as if it were giving way. He looked down to see his legs slowly being sucked into the space between the three golden triangles of the Triforce, where a bright white light emitted.

He was going back to Hyrule, to resume his quest to awaken all of the Sages.

He looked back up at Saria as he slowly sunk through the floor, looking like she was getting taller with every passing second. Her smile had faded, and had become a sombre frown. Link didn't want to see her go, but it looked like the feeling was mutual with her. She had done her part, and she could only continue to help when Link was back in Hyrule.

A ringing noise was heard when the light began to overtake him, beginning to make his descent to the dying land. It seemed as if Saria was too choked up for words. Did she still remember him? Did she still remember what Link stood for; all the things he did for her; all the things she did for him?

Everything seemed to get brighter as Link's head sunk through the floor. He thought he was about to break down, but lit up when he saw Saria's mouth open.

"Link…" she said. "…the truth…will be revealed to you now."

Link responded quickly, saving time before he was gone. "The truth?"

Saria did not blink. She did not dare take her eyes of him. "…who you really are…"

Link didn't know what she was talking about. He knew what he was…was there something he was missing? Why was Saria playing mind games with him? There were so many questions racing in his mind right now, but according to Saria, apparently they were all going to be answered.

Saria, the new Forest Sage, opened her mouth one last time.

"Saria…" she began. "Will always be…your friend…"

Trees. Link found himself suspended by that same cruel blue light, hovering down through the dense, lush leaves of the forest's canopy. Rays of sallow sunlight ran through the web of branches like a complex path through a challenging maze. There was a soothing, warm wind, calmly exploring the area from what appeared to be the Lost Woods. When Link first arrived here, this wind had been a cold, foul breath of air roaring through the dark tree trunks of the Lost Woods, howling out of the entrance to the Forest Temple. Somehow it had changed, and had modified is purpose to pacify and appease instead of provoke and frighten.

How it changed the atmosphere of the forest. It was almost identical to the one that Link had been raised in, where all of his memories lived as well as his friends. It was a haven instead of a hell; a blessing instead of a curse.

It was only now, as Link soared through the trees that he realized the true impact of Phantom Ganon's death. His malicious grip on the forest had caused it to spiritually wither and die, pumping an abhorrent amount of dark magic into the very core of the woodland's stability.

Now that Phantom was dead and Saria had been awakened as a Sage, the evil energy had been cut short, and had simply stopped. The natural elements of the forest began to stir purely, but without a magic source at all, Link still worried about how the forest would cope. The Kokiri would still inevitably die off without the Deku Tree, and there was nothing Link could do about it. He had done everything he could, but it still wasn't enough to save them.

He burst into a clearing, and looked in awe at the sight. There he was: the Great Deku Tree. He looked the same as he did before, not a thing changed. His dead, black bark had not shifted or even begun to decompose. However, most of his leaves had fallen off his canopy, leaving little behind, making him almost look skeletal. Link was still painfully reminded of how he failed to save him; how he failed to reverse the curse that Phantom cast upon him.

Link was gently lowered to the ground by the blue light he rode on, and landed softly on his feet, not feeling the effects of the burns anymore. The light disappeared, retreating into the heavens.

Link was left standing there in the Great Deku Tree's Meadow, looking upon his giant trunk.

Wind passed under him, rustling the trees surrounding the one giant one, who once represented the forest; life itself. Leaves rolled and tossed on the ground, spinning around in tiny cyclones, eventually breaking up and falling back to the grassy forest floor. The yellow sunlight softly reached through the Deku Tree's branches, casting a labyrinth of shadows over the ground where Link stood. They stood still. They did not sway in the wind that passed by overhead. They simply remained there as they did in the tree's final hours of life.

Although the Deku Tree was stone dead, Link felt as if his presence was still here, as if he was still able to look at him and see how much he had grown. He was almost like a father figure to him, despite that Link only knew him for a short period of time. He wished he was still alive to see this: what Link had done for his home; their home. He wished that the Deku Tree would live to see the rebirth of the entire world, lived to see the fall of the very evil that poisoned his roots and soul.

Link smiled; that was nonsense. The Deku Tree _would_ see what was about to take place; his spirit lived on, in everything that grew and thrived in the forest, including the Kokiri. He would continue to watch over the forest, the world. He would forever live on as a holy entity, keeping guard of the woods, protecting it from whatever evil forces dared to venture inside.

There was a whiz from behind Link's head, followed by what sounded like the wings of a butterfly. It was Navi, coming in to rest on Link's shoulder.

"Oh, you're back," she said somewhat silently.

Link grinned. "Yeah, back again. How long was I gone?"

"I'd say a few hours," Navi replied. "I found myself in Kokiri Village after you and Saria disappeared, so I figured I'd stay there. I thought I'd find you here."

"Well, you're lucky," said Link, crossing his arms. "I just got back a few moments ago."

"Oh…" Navi mumbled. "So, is Saria…you know…"

Link nodded. "Yup. She'll stay up there and help us in any way she can."

"Oh, well that's not so bad, is it?" said Navi, feeling somewhat more contented.

Link shook his head. "No…not at all."

The two looked at the Deku Tree for a moment. His massive trunk didn't cast a shadow, which would be somewhat of a sombre atmosphere. Only his branches did, showing the surrounding area how long he had lived. His glum face, melded into the bark was still there, looking over Kokiri Village as he had for thousands of years. Even though he was gone, his remains were a powerful reminder of days gone by, and how Ganondorf had influenced everyone, even in the most secluded of places.

"He would've been so proud of you," said Navi after a while.

Link breathed out through his nose, smiling as he did so. "Yeah. I'm sure he is. I'm positive he's really happy now."

Navi tittered slightly. "I suppose you're right." She paused for a moment. "You did it, Link; you finally avenged him."

Link looked up at the tree's bare branches. "I did, didn't I?" He looked at Navi. "Well, for the most part, anyway. We still need to go get the guy who told Phantom to do it."

Navi smiled sweetly. "You need to concentrate a little more on the things you've accomplished; not the things you have yet to do."

Link nodded. "I know, I know." He looked back at the Deku Tree. "I do feel a lot better, happier than I was."

"I'm sure everyone does."

Link's eyes narrowed, and he turned back to his guardian fairy resting on his shoulder. "Everyone?"

Navi seemed somewhat ashamed. Her eyes wandered off, not really wanting to look at Link anymore. "I…well…you were gone for quite a while…"

"You told the Kokiri, didn't you?" said Link.

Navi turned back to him, her eyes owlish in somewhat of a panic. "I didn't tell them much!"

"Well," said Link, crossing his arms again, like a father lecturing his child. "What did you tell them?"

"Just about Tamil, and Saria too."

"What about them?"

"How…well…" Navi mumbled. "How they're never going to see Tamil again, and how it's most likely that they won't hear from Saria, at least not for a long time."

Link nodded. "What else?"

Navi bit her lip. "Well…I guess I blabbed about you as well."

"What did you tell them?" asked Link seriously.

"Nothing too into detail," Navi replied, looking away. "A lot of them actually figured it was you, since I was with you when you entered the village."

"Oh?" said Link, somewhat intrigued. "Really?"

"Yeah," said Navi, smiling. "I was surprised too. They all missed you, Link."

Link didn't know what to say. During the time when he lived in the forest, he always thought of himself as somewhat of an outsider. He never would've thought that people actually cared about him. He wasn't even sure they would even remember him.

"They…they did?" asked Link.

Navi nodded. "Yeah. They really did. They all thought you died when you left the forest."

Link looked away, actually laughing a little bit. "No way…I don't believe it…so, did they know about the curse the Forest Temple, then?"

"Actually, about that," said Navi. "When I tried to explain it to them, they all seemed a little confused."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they didn't believe what I was telling them, about not growing up," she went on. "They actually didn't really comment on it. I did hear one of them mutter something, though."

"What did he say?" asked Link.

"It was a girl, actually."

"Oh."

"She said…" Navi began. "She said something along the lines of that she always thought you were different, or something."

Link thought about that line for a minute or two. He knew that he was different in many ways from the other children, but everyone had their differences. His were just…bigger. At least that was the way he thought about it.

He continued to silently look at the Deku Tree. Somehow, looking at him helped him think, letting him dig deep into his mind. As he continued to stare at the base of his trunk, he noticed something. It was something close to the tree, sticking out of the ground. There was a bit of green on it, but Link wasn't too sure. It didn't seem to be moving, but despite that, it really stood out from the blades of grass surrounding it. It was really small; Link had a hard time getting a good idea of what it was.

"Navi…do you see that?" he asked.

Navi blinked. "…see what?"

"Follow me," Link instructed.

Link began to cautiously approach the object protruding out of the ground, as if he had a bad feeling about this. He didn't reach for his weapon, though; since he didn't feel that it was dangerous. As he got closer and closer towards the object, he began to understand what it was.

The green he had seen was in fact a leaf, hanging off the tip of a small seedling. Link breathed a huge sigh, almost a laugh, as a huge smile swept across his face.

He kneeled down beside the sprout, and placed his hand under one of the leaves. He rubbed it between his fingers and his thumb, then left it alone.

"Would you look at that?" he said, as if looking at a newborn baby.

"Wow…" said Navi. "Was that because of us?"

Link slowly nodded. "I think so."

"It's beautiful," Navi commented. "Maybe we accomplished something after all?"

Link nodded again. "New life." He looked up at the sky. "Maybe…the forest will live on after all…"

The ground jolted.

"What the…"

The seedling sprung out of the ground, revealing a much larger mass underneath.

Setting a new personal record from the scream-and-jump event, Link was automatically sent several feet back of the thing that just popped out of the ground, with minimal damage to the ground around it.

What had replaced the seedling was now what looked like some kind of odd-looking tree, with a seedling on top. It was, in a way, plump, rounding out to its base, where roots had already taken shape. It had two other small, stubby branches, stretching out to the sides, like arms, each bearing a few leaves each.

What struck Link the most about this suddenly newborn tree was what was on its trunk: a face.

It was almost like the Deku Tree, except this one seemed a lot younger, almost childish. It had small, beady eyes, and a large, broad mouth, bearing a smile from ear to ear.

"Hey there!" said the tree, making Link scream and jump again, this time landing on his rear. Unlike when the Deku Tree talked, this thing's mouth actually moved, and even its eyes seemed to be blinking.

"Aw, man," said the plant. "You're a little edgy…can you lighten up a little?"

Link shook his head. "Excuse me?"

"Wow, you've gotten _big_. Look at you! You're all grown up!" the tree went on. "You look way different from when I last saw you!"

Link looked in disbelief at this thing. "What? Have we met before?"

"Huh?" The tree looked puzzled. "What? Of course we have! Don't you rem—" The plant cut himself short. "Oh…that's right…"

"What are you talking about?" said Link, already frustrated with this odd creature.

The tree cleared his throat. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the Deku Tree sprout! Because you and Saria broke the curse on the Forest Temple, I can grow and flourish! Thanks a lot!"

Link's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe this. "You're…the Great…Deku Tree?"

The Deku Tree sprout looked like he was about to say something cheerful, but cut himself off. "Well, no, not exactly…" He smiled again. "I'm not the Deku Tree you knew, Link, but simply his replacement. I'm like a prince taking over the throne, you know?"

"Well…" said Link. "Then why do you know my name?"

"I am pretty much the Great Deku Tree," the sprout replied. "I have all of his knowledge and memories, only I have a way better attitude; like I don't say things like 'Thou…hast…befallen…thine…come hither…thee…' you know what I mean?"

Link laughed. "I guess so. So…are you going to do everything the Deku Tree did?"

The sprout nodded. "Yup. I'll even give birth to new Kokiri. It's been a while since they had newcomers."

Link sighed and smiled. This was such a huge relief to him. Ever since he left, he had been wondering what the true fate of the Kokiri was going to be. Now that the Deku Tree sprout was growing in the Deku Tree's Meadow, it looked like things were going to be all right in the end after all.

"Yeah, I think I have a lot of work to do," said the Deku Tree sprout. "It's been a while since this forest had one of me running the place. Man, what a mess!"

Link laughed even harder than before. "Hey, that's a little bit of an understatement, don't you think?"

"Well, now that you've apparently taken a liking to me," said the new Deku Tree, calming down a little. "It's time to get a little more serious, here."

Link frowned. "Serious?"

The sprout nodded. "Yeah. I'm sure this is something you were wondering about as well. Since I have all of the Great Deku Tree's knowledge, I can answer that question that has been bothering you since you arrived here."

Link decided not to get up. It seemed as if the Deku Tree sprout was getting ready for some kind of long explanation. "Go on," he invited.

The Deku Tree sprout's face shifted uneasily, as if it was hard fro him to say what he was about to see. "Well…where to begin…hm…" He mumbled for a while, thinking. "Hey, you must've seen your old friends, right?"

Link nodded. "Yeah. I saw most of them, at least."

"None of them recognized you in your grown-up body, did they?" asked the Deku Tree sprout, bearing a trace of a grin.

Link thought for a moment. "Well…no, I suppose not. Those who did recognize me only did because of Navi."

"Well, that's because the Kokiri never grow up! Even after several years, they're still kids!" said the sprout with a huge smile.

"I know," said Link. "They didn't grow up because of the curse of the Forest Temple."

The sprouts eyes narrowed momentarily. "The curse of the wha', now?"

"The curse of the Forest Temple," Link repeated. "You know, since Ganondorf took over, that building emitted evil energy, preventing the Kokiri from growing up like I did."

"Huh?" said the Deku Tree sprout, eyes widening. "No, no, no, no. That's not it at all."

Link froze. "What?"

The sprout laughed. "Wow, that was kind of creative. 'The Curse of the Forest Temple', eh? Interesting…"

Link leaned forward, his heart now racing. "That's…that's what it was, wasn't it? That's why they didn't grow up, right?"

The Deku Tree sprout looked at Link for a moment, smiled, blinked, and slowly shook his head. "Absolutely not."

Link was drawn aback. Now things were starting to get confusing. "It wasn't?"

"Nope."

Link put his hand to his forehead, racing through all of his thoughts to try and come up with an explanation. "If…if the Forest Temple had nothing to do with it…then what did? Why haven't the Kokiri grown up? What was responsible?"

"Heh-heh…settle down there, Link," said the sprout. His eyes looked off towards the trees. "I suppose the only thing you can blame is nature…"

Link's heart was beating on his rib cage, ramming it with brute force. "Nature?"

The sprout looked back at him. "Yep. That's all there is to it, Link." He was acting really serious now. He could only be telling the truth. "The word 'Kokiri' comes from an ancient word, meaning 'child'. The Kokiri are children of the forest, and will always remain children of the forest. They exist to remain young, despite their age. They will all die children, forever remaining in young bodies. That's what separates them from the rest of the world. I know this is a bit of a shock to you, but I need to tell you these things."

A shock indeed. So many questions were racing through Link's mind, breaking the barriers of thought, shattering connections and scrambling patterns. His head began to hurt as his heart pumped his blood faster and faster. He desperately tried to remain one with the world, trying to get the words out, but was having a really hard time.

"I know what you're thinking," said the Deku Tree sprout. "You must be wondering why only you have grown up."

"Y-yes!" Link blurted, as if he was impatiently waiting for the Deku Tree sprout to say that. He couldn't think of any answers to this question. It pained him to even think that the Deku Tree sprout knew this and he didn't.

"Well," the sprout sighed. "To be honest, Kaepora Gaebora was actually the one to tell you, but it seems that he ran out of time. Do you remember his words, Link?"

The owl's last words echoed in Link's mind, as if he had said them within it.

"_Link…there's…a secret…" he murmured._

"_A secret?" Link asked. "A secret about what?"_

"_Who…you…really are…" Kaepora coughed. Link was silent as Kaepora opened his eyes again. "You're not…a…"_

_The owl interrupted his sentence by a series of weak coughs and wheezes._

"_Kaepora," said Link. "Stay with me!"_

_Kaepora looked at him once more, his sallow eyes going cold. "You're…really…a……."_

Link looked up at the Deku Tree sprout, who now had put on a serious frown. Link's jaw was quivering. He could not stop shaking his head. He did not want to hear what he knew the Deku Tree sprout was about to say. He didn't want to let the sound of that sentence register in his ear drums. He silently begged the sprout not to talk. He tranquilly pleaded him not to open his mouth.

The sprout opened his mouth anyway.

"Link, you are not a Kokiri."

Link clenched both sides of his head. "No…I'm…I'm a Kokiri. I c…I can't believe that…I won't believe that! I was born here…raised here…I lived here all my life! If I'm not a Kokiri…then what am I?"

The Deku Tree sprout was silent for a moment. "You are actually a Hylian."

Link tried his best to find a way around this. This blew everything wide open. He tried to look at all the evidence against it, but it all eventually pointed to one conclusion. This explained why he was always thought of as different. This was why a fairy never came to him. This was why the Deku Tree let him leave the forest. This was why he had such a liking to Hylian food. This was why he grew up, and why no one recognized him in his new body. This was why so many people thought he was a Hylian before even considering a Kokiri.

It all made sense. There was no way out of it.

Link wanted to say something, something that would help but all that came out of his mouth was a quick exhale, mixed in with a vibration of his vocal chords, ending up as a quick and shaking grunt. That sound was eventually followed by a scream of colossal proportions. It was enough to make a mountain tremble, enough to blow the mechanisms of a proximate ear. Link's fingers curled, unable to sustain the amount of energy that he was putting into this shriek. It was a roaring concentration of emotion, and no one was going to stop him from letting it all out. There was too much to vent, and Link didn't know how long it would take for him to settle down.

"Link!" called a voice from behind. "Get a hold of yourself!"

It was Sheik. Somehow, he had managed to escape the foul jaws of the Moblins in the Forest Temple. There he was, standing near the entrance to the meadow, his arms by his sides, hands clenched into fists. His bangs still completely covered one eye, as if he was virtually unharmed by the Moblins' onslaught. His blood-red eyes stared Link down with ferocious intensity.

"What…what am I supposed to believe!" Link cried.

"Link, calm down!" shouted Sheik, outstretching his hand. "Pull yourself together!"

Link continued to look at the ground, gripping both sides of his head tightly. "It's not true! I was born here, in this forest, lived here all my life! I always was a Kokiri. I can't possibly be…a Hylian…"

"Link, don't loose sight of who you are," said Sheik, lowering his hand. "It does not matter what your background is, what race you are. You are still you."

Link looked up slightly from the ground. "I'm…me?"

"You are the same person, with the same experience and memory. This changes nothing; you remain the same person."

"How is that possible?" Link blurted. "All this time, I've been lied to. How could I possibly remain the same person?"

"Because you always were a Hylian," said Sheik. "I knew you were one the second I met you."

Link turned his head towards Sheik. "How come you didn't tell me this? Why did you keep it a secret from me?"

"You were still very timid," Sheik replied. "I didn't think it would be the right time to tell you; I wanted to give you some time to get over the fact that Hyrule had changed. I thought that this would be the ideal time to tell you, but it seems as though I was mistaken."

Link took in a deep breath, and let out a long, quivering sigh. He promised himself that he wouldn't cry; that's not what heroes do.

"No…you're right…I think that it's good that I know now. It explains a lot to me…it means a lot to me." He looked back towards the Deku Tree sprout. "But there's still something I don't get."

"And what is that?" asked the Deku Tree sprout.

"If the Kokiri are born from the Deku Tree, and if I'm a Hylian…"

The sprout smiled. It looked as if he was waiting for Link to say that. "Link, just like all Hylians, you have a mother and a father."

Link's face lit up, his suspicions confirmed. "I…I do? I have…parents?"

The sprout bit his lip. "Well, more like you _did_…I don't know how to say it. I'm sorry."

"What?" said Link. "My parents…they're…dead?"

"I don't want to mince words, so the answer is yes."

"How?" said Link, bringing his hand to his forehead. "How did this happen? What happened to them?"

The sprout blinked. "It's a long story. I'll tell it to you if you wish."

"Please," said Link, getting off his knees, and sitting down. "Tell me."

The Deku Tree sprout nodded. "Very well. Some time ago, before the King of Hyrule unified this country, there was a fierce war in our world…"

The sprout went on for what seemed like hours. He told the story of the Great War; the first major clash to ever take place in Hyrule. He told Link how it all started, with a vicious attack by the Gerudos on the walls of Hyrule Castle Town. He talked about all of the ferocious battles that took place in Hyrule during the bloodshed, including none other than the Forbidden Forest, where they Hylians tried to cover ground on Phantom's forces, but were annihilated.

The story eventually went on about two people, a soldier and his wife, accompanied by a group of other infantry, making their way out of Hyrule Castle town to escape the impending final attack. When they were travelling across the Royal Plains, they were suddenly ambushed by a group of stray Moblins and Gerudos, wounding the soldier in the kidney.

After the attack, they managed to find a place to camp, where the dying soldier's wife comforted him in the pouring rain. Link was actually surprised when the sprout mentioned that Amentaris, when he was only a lieutenant, ran into them.

"So…wait," said Link after a while. "Are you saying that Amentaris just abandoned those people there?"

"It was their wish to remain," the Deku Tree sprout replied.

"But why?"

"If you'd let me continue, Link, I'll tell you."

"Oh…sorry…"

"Anyway," the sprout went on. "They both remained under that lone tree, in complete silence…"

* * *

_They were alone…_

_The blood oozing out his kidney wound began to decrease, and it looked like he was growing faint. The woman gripped his shoulder more tightly, but only with one hand._

"_Junius?" she whispered. "Junius! Stay with me!"_

_Junius, the soldier, coughed up a bit of blood, and slowly opened his eyes again. Water trickled down his golden hair, dripping off the ends, covering his face in wet glaze. His eyes seemed soulless, and his mouth seemed to be uttering something silently. He was fading fast, and there was nothing she could do about it._

"_Junius, please," she said. "Don't die here…not now…"_

_Junius' eyes grew, as if he were trying to see something on the horizon. His blonde hair clung to his skin, soaking wet from the unremitting torrent of water. The raindrops pounded his face like bombs, attempting to break him, but he was already damaged enough to be considered anywhere near a valuable target. His hand covered the wound lightly, for he probably knew now that putting pressure on it would only make it worse. The bright red blood stained the shining metal of his armour, changing it from a symbol of glory to a symbol of mortality. The substance quietly dripped to the ground, and mixed with the pouring rain, creating a small pool of crimson water._

_He was almost like a lifeless being, a mere vegetable at the hands of human mortality._

_His mouth slowly opened, however, using all of his remaining energy to express what he had to say._

"_Is he…all right?" he asked._

"_He's fine," the woman replied. "He's just fine; you don't need to worry about him. Worry about yourself."_

"_No…" said Junius. "I…I need to see him, one last time…"_

"_You can see him any time you want," said the woman through her teeth. "Because you are going to live…you're going to spend the rest of your life with him, and with me."_

_Junius cringed. "Riana, please!" he growled. "Just let me look at him. Let me hold him…"_

_Raina, Junius' wife, bit her lip. She slowly lifted open her malachite-coloured, wool robe, to reveal what she had been carrying in her other arm; a baby._

_She had found it ironic when Amentaris had come by, carrying an infant of his own in the exact same manner that she was carrying her son._

_The newborn was wrapped tightly in a viridian, cotton cloth, halfway around his head to keep him even warmer. The child was slightly disturbed by the pouring rain, and began to sob to some extent._

_Raina silently passed her child to her husband, who took his bloody hand off his wound in order to hold his son. The child stopped crying when he was in his father's arms, comforted in a way. Junius looked into his son's blue eyes, virtually identical to his._

"_Hey there, Link," he said softly. "Did you miss your daddy?"_

_Raina could only watch silently as her husband spent time with little Link. As she continued to watch, she began to grow fearful as to why he so desperately wanted to talk to his son._

_A sombre frown appeared on Junius' face. "…I'm sorry I won't be there for you," he said. "I'm sorry I'll never be able to see you grow up."_

"_Junius, if you die here, then I'm dying with you, like I said before," said Raina, almost threateningly._

"_Raina…" Junius said with closed eyes. "I didn't leave Hyrule Castle Town for me…and I know you didn't leave for yourself." He turned towards her. "We did it for our son; for his protection. If you die, then he'll be food for the wolves."_

"_But…I can't take care of him on my own. He'll die anyway if he's only with me."_

_Junius nodded weakly. "Then find an alternative. Raina, I married you because…well…you gave me hope. Just when I think the entire world is slipping out of the hands of purity, I look at you and I'm reminded that it isn't so bad after all." He began to cough violently. "Please, Raina, take Link to a safe place. Make sure he is happy. I've done my part for him; now it's time for you to do yours."_

_The tears came out of Raina's eyes more powerfully than before. Not able to say anything she nodded, accepting Junius' final wish._

_His breathing began to become unstable and weak, but Junius put his last and dying breaths into looking into his son's eyes; the one who would carry on his legacy._

"_Link…" he whispered, coughing as he did so, his eyes becoming cloudy. "Don't…die…like…me…"_

_Junius' head leaned forward for a moment, his bangs kissing Link's forehead briefly. It stayed there for a second, but eventually rolled back, resting against the narrow trunk of the tree. It shifted off limply to the side, looking away from both Link and his mother, Raina. His grip on his son loosened, and in the end disappeared._

_He left Raina and Link on their own, to take on the world. Raina tried her best to comfort her husband by telling him he was going to be okay, but even she knew that his death was immanent._

_She picked Link up from his father's limp hands, and concealed him once again under her cloak._

_Shedding a tear for the loss of her husband, she stood up and began to walk through the darkness, carrying Link along with her, her cloak being carried along in the rain-soaked wind._

_It was a risk, but she had no choice; she knew the only place where Link would be safe.

* * *

_

"Wow…he gave his life…just for me?" said Link after the Deku Tree sprout paused in the story.

"Your father loved you dearly," said the sprout. "Any price was fair when it came down to you, Link, even his life."

"So it was Junius and Raina…those were my parents' names?" asked Link, trying to remember the two.

"Yes," the sprout replied. "Their blood swims in yours, Link. Remember that."

"They were purebred Hylians, I'm assuming?" said Sheik, after keeping quiet for a time.

"As far as I know, yes," said the sprout. "I do not believe that Link has any trace of anything within him but the blood of Hylians."

"Well, let me guess…" mumbled Link, leaning back. "My mother brought me here, since that was the place she thought would be the safest for me?"

"Correct," said the Deku Tree sprout. "Your mother, and you, her baby boy, entered this forbidden forest, in an attempt to escape the dying fires of the war. Unfortunately along the way, your mother was gravely injured by wild monsters…her only choice was to entrust you to the Deku Tree, the guardian spirit of the forest…"

* * *

_Raina fearfully crept through the narrow pass, carrying young Link in her arms. He was sleeping, unaware of this new world around him. She had felt so odd, talking to the strange children that lived in that equally strange village just beyond the pass. She had heard the legends, but had always thought of them as a strange children's story. When she had travelled by the border of the forest, she happened to have a strange feeling come over her that she might be able to find something in there; somewhere for Link to live in safety._

_Somehow she had stumbled upon it. Somehow, after days of wandering endlessly through the eternal miles of trees, she had entered this strange village which had only been told of in stories when she was only little._

_She felt like she was in a dream, asking these mysterious kids for directions to the Great Deku Tree, an entity that she never really believed existed until now._

_These children, who referred to themselves as the Kokiri, kindly pointed out the general direction where the guardian spirit resided. With a quick "thank you", Raina was on her way, but made sure she didn't let Link out in the open, otherwise she feared that the Kokiri would recognize him if she were able to convince the Deku Tree to make Link one of them. Otherwise, Link would find out too early and spend his entire childhood obsessing over his past._

_She was a slim, lonely, hooded figure, passing nervously through this forbidden place. Raina almost looked like a druid, symbolizing death, hopelessness, despite her real ambitions. Her dark green robe dragged behind her in the air somewhat, despite the fact that the air was relatively still and she was walking quite slowly, almost fearfully._

_She wondered if she could even trust these children. She considered the possibility that the Kokiri did not show her the way to the Deku Tree, but to a trap instead, something that they would do to outsiders who ventured into their village._

_Well, trap or no trap, she was going to continue. She was doing this for her son, and if this wasn't the safest place for him, she didn't think there was a safe place left in the world._

_She vigilantly paced around the bend, and walked even slower than before; she was faced with the largest tree she had ever seen in her entire life._

_It looked like the Kokiri had not been hostile after all. This gargantuan tree could only be the guardian spirit of the forest, only told about in myth. She felt as if she was in a child, seeing things that were only intended to entertain young ones._

_She walked down the steady slope as if it were holy ground, afraid what would happen if she were to walk on the grass._

_The tree began to rumble, as if waking from a deep sleep._

"_Outsider!" the tree boomed, shaking the ground beneath it. "Thou hast intruded on mine forbidden land!"_

_Raina was drawn aback, shaken by the Deku Tree's words. "Please," she said. "Please, let me explain."_

"_Thou, who have dared enter this prohibited woodland, needs explain not her reasons. Begone!" boomed the Deku Tree._

"_No! Please!" said Raina, dropping to her knees, being careful not to harm young Link in the process. "It's not about me. I merely ask a favour of you."_

_The Deku Tree was silent for a while. "A stranger, who defies the code of the forest, asks of me to grant her a wish? Absurd! I shall not aid thee!"_

"_You don't need to help me," said Raina, lowering her head. "I only ask that you help my son…"_

_She opened her cloak, and let the sunlight shine on Link's face. She placed him in front of her, as if he were an antique of some sort needed to be appraised._

"_Please," she begged. "He does not have a home to go back to. I don't believe I can look after him for much longer; I don't have much time left."_

_The Deku Tree did not say anything. His face never moved, thus it was impossible to tell what he was looking at. Somehow, though, Raina had a feeling that he was looking at her newborn son, beginning to wake up as the clouded sunlight reflected off his brow. She lowered her head again, wordlessly beseeching the Great Deku Tree to reconsider._

"_This…child…" the Deku Tree mumbled. "Outsider, if thou would, bring the infant closer."_

_Raina looked up. "Y…yes, of course…"_

_She tenderly picked Link up, still slumbering, and shifted closer on her knees, carrying him tightly in her arms. She just as gently placed him back on the ground, and folded her hands neatly in her lap, lowering her head once more, concealing it behind her hood. The Deku Tree fell silent again, examining her son. She didn't know why he was doing this, but if it would make her son safe, then she had no objections._

"_Outsider…" mumbled the Deku Tree. "Thy son is a child of fate…I can sense great potential within him…his destiny will affect the entire world…"_

_Raina looked up at the Deku Tree. "Wh…what?"_

"_Outsider…" said the Great Deku Tree once more. "If thou truly believes that this child will be in harms way, I ask that thou leave him in mine care. I cannot allow this young one to die at such a young age."_

_Raina lit up, and began to bow her head repeatedly. "Thank you! Thank you for your mercy…"_

"_Thy son shall be raised as a Kokiri, and shall leave this forest when the day of destiny comes," said the Deku Tree. "He will be in good care, thou need not worry."_

_Raina couldn't stop smiling. She had done it; her son was now safe. Link would now grow up healthy, and not in fear of war. Link would learn his life lessons without his parents, but at least he would be alive. Raina was very grateful that the Deku Tree agreed to take him in._

_Raina's time, however, was just about over. One of her hands continued to clasp the gash in her stomach, caused by that wicked creature in Hyrule Field, that flew into the air, propelling itself with spinning blades underneath. She had been bleeding for three days now, and she began to grow faint. She was still surprised she made it this far into the woods without dropping dead. The blood leaked out of her fingers, and stained her dress underneath._

_She leaned over her son one last time._

"_Link…" she whispered. "You have a home now. Please…grow up strong…become like your father. If what the Deku Tree says is true, then embrace your destiny. Make a difference in the world…like so many others have failed to do before you. Don't just follow someone else's ideals…make your own, and make them real. I know you can do it…"

* * *

_

"Your mother passed away the day after she left you here," said the Deku Tree sprout. "It was most likely that it was because of the wound, but there is room to say that it might've been caused by something else."

"It doesn't matter how she died," said Link. He was running his fingers through his hair, trying to contemplate the whole story the Deku Tree sprout had just told him. "All that matters is that…well…she saved me."

"Yes," the sprout agreed. "Like your father, she also gave her life for you. It was your parents' combined sacrifice that allowed you to live, and change the world."

Link slowly stood up. "Sacrifice…" he mumbled. "I hate that word…"

"How so?" asked Sheik, still present behind him.

"I don't believe that anyone, anything, should be forced to die for the sake of another person or cause," Link explained. "It makes me feel guilty, being alive at the price of my parents' lives."

"Link, you shouldn't think like that," said Sheik. "Don't start believing your very existence was what murdered your parents."

"I know that," said Link. "I know it's not my fault, but still…I wish there was another way to do things without the cost of people's lives."

"As do we all," said Sheik, crossing his arms. "You must understand, Link, that every gift has a price, some prices more costly than others. Instead of regretting what people have given up, you must honour it. After all, you wouldn't do something just so someone will regret it later on, would you?"

Link turned his head away. "You're right, but I still think that human sacrifice is wrong. There is always another way…" He turned back towards Sheik. "I'll find it. I'm going to make sure that life cannot be continued to be wasted. I'm going to make sure people don't willingly give their lives away like my parents did."

Sheik appeared to be smiling. "It's thoughts like that that truly make you a Hylian."

Link couldn't help but grin as well. "How so?"

"Hylians tend to be idealists," explained Sheik. "That trait can bring out both the best and worst in people, obsessing over their personal goals."

"Would you say my goals are going to bring out the worst in me?" asked Link.

Sheik shook his head. "I don't believe you're that kind of a person, Link. Me, being a Sheikah, I have a natural inclination to observing things in closer detail. It doesn't really take me long to get to know a person, especially a Hylian."

"I see…"

"Don't get me wrong," said Sheik hastily. "It's not just Hylians who do this. Take Ganondorf for example. He obsessed over his ideals so much that it corrupted his resolve. His original objective was transformed into a twisted version, because he saw an easier way to achieve it, and well…you can see the result."

Link nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I believe in what you say, Link," said Sheik kindly. "I, too, believe in a world without sacrifice. I wish that there was some way to end unnecessary death." He stopped smiling. "Remember though, although there is truth in your words, you must not drift too far away from reality. It is good to think about the future, but keep your eyes off the present for too long, you'll steer in the wrong direction. Focus on the task at hand, and perhaps we could build on that model world of yours."

"You know what you must do," said the Deku Tree sprout. "You have to save Hyrule. Break the curses on all the remaining temples and restore peace to the world."

"I will," said Link. "Thank you."

"I'm glad to have revealed this secret to you, Link," said the sprout. "It shouldn't have been kept from you this long."

"Well, I'm glad I know now," said Link. "Hey, you take good care of the forest while I'm gone, got it?"

"Hey, no problem," said the Deku Tree sprout, returning to his original, casual self. "There's lots to do; don't worry about me."

"All right," Link replied. "I'm counting on you."

"I'll see you around. Good luck!" called the sprout as Link began to turn around, towards Sheik.

"So, shall we be on our way?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Link. "I take it you need me to lead out of here?"

Sheik scratched his head. "Well…erm…"

"All right then. Just follow me," said Link before Sheik could reply.

Sheik shrugged, and began to follow Link out of the forest. They began to walk through the pass, leaving the Deku Tree sprout to his duties. Link didn't want to start the journey out of the forest on a quiet note, so he started up a conversation as soon as possible.

"You know, you're a pretty cool guy, Sheik. I think I'm starting to like you," said Link.

Sheik was drawn aback. His red eyes widened as his pupils shrunk. He almost brought a hand up to face level. "Wh…what? Me?"

Link shrugged, continuing to walk along casually. "Sure, why not? You're an interesting person to talk to."

It looked like he was trying to hide it, but Link could tell that Sheik was blushing. "Really?"

"Why so surprised all of a sudden?" asked Link with a smile. "Has no one ever called you cool before?"

"Oh…well, not that. It's just that I've only known you for two days."

"So? That doesn't matter. Is it so much of a big deal that I think you're cool?" said Link, grinning.

Sheik's eyes looked off. "I suppose not…"

"You need to lighten up a little," said Link as he playfully punched Sheik in the arm.

"Hey!" yelled Sheik, backing off slightly.

Link didn't say anything; he simply laughed. It didn't look like Sheik got the joke, however.

After a few moments, Sheik began to chuckle as well.

"You Hylians…"

* * *

**-Author's Notes-**

Well...that was um...fast? I wrote this chapter in like...four days? I usually takes me around a month! Well, I guess this is a treat to my patrons. It was somewhat short, but you did get it rather swiftly, didn't you? So stop laughing at this chapter's length and/or quality. No...seriously, stop laughing.

-Crimson Water


	26. Mysteries of Knowledge

26

_Mysteries of Knowledge_

_He gripped the centre of his chest. Uncontrollable trembling shook the strength out of him. With his legs too weak to stand on, he slid down the opaque colours of the stained-glass window and sat on the floor._

_He felt abruptly frail, unable to summon the will to even support his own body weight. It was as if he had suffered a heart attack, but not from underneath his protective rib cage, but by an outer force, something distant. Something had happened somewhere, and it had indirectly affected him, causing the pins that kept his knees locked to loosen. It was something outside of his physical senses, something so powerful that the entire world felt its blow. Something had created such an impact that caused the four corners of the earth to wobble and shake, something discharging itself of such immense power._

_It had created a storm of metal and fire, and a flood of souls along with it. It approached with twisted determination, bent on knocking him off his feet, ready to suck the energy out of him like sap. It was dangerous, this suddenly unchained ribbon of power, thrashing across the sky like the whip of the gods as they raced their two chariots across the eternal but ever-changing sky. It threatened to lick the ground, to strike the earth with its ferocious rage, to split the land in half with a shattering blow._

_It carried death along with it, like blood leaking out of a slit wrist. It wasn't seepage of any sort; this was spiritual debris of a massive ejection of magic, with a violent liking to destruction. It slowly lifted itself into the heavens, away from the ground, but still found it within itself to sweep the tall grasses of Hyrule Field, to taste the peaks of the trees of the Forbidden Forest._

_He had found the source of the energy, and was not surprised of the evident event that had occurred just moments ago._

_Kanakana burst through the doors, most likely alarmed by the sudden sound of Ganondorf sliding to the floor. This dark figure was of little contrast to the overall atmosphere of the room; his presence merely added to its thematic fragrance._

"_M'Lord?" he said, stopping in his tracks, leaning his upper torso forward only slightly._

"_The Forest Barrier…" Ganondorf mumbled, leaning his ear up to the marble wall, just under the thick glass of the window. "…it's gone. It has been destroyed."_

_Kanakana paused. It seemed as if he had feared this. "I see…"_

"_That kid…" Ganondorf chuckled. "He's a lot quicker than I expected. One day back and he already delivers a blow."_

"_So…this means…" Kanakana mumbled, letting his hands fall by his sides. "We've lost control of the woodland area?"_

_Ganondorf nodded. "Yes, it would seem that way. It has been liberated from our grip, and now the inhabitants of the region will most likely be free to do as they please." He looked over, leaning his other ear against the wall. "It's a pity, really. That place survived for years without anarchy. I can only suppose it wasn't destined to last long."_

"_Is the control over the area still a concern of ours?" asked Kanakana. "If you wish, Master, I will send a dispatch reclaim it swiftly."_

_Ganondorf shook his head. "It matters not. I have much better things in mind than keeping close watch over a bunch of inferior creatures." He turned towards Kanakana, but did not get up from where he was sitting. "We shall continue as planned. We won't let anything stand in our way. Is that clear?"_

_Kanakana lowered his head. "Understood, Master. What are your orders?"_

_Ganondorf thought for a moment. "Carry on with keeping tabs on the Hero of Time. Keep all major military forces stationed on the western plains. The guardians will find out about this on their own; you need not tell them."

* * *

_

The Kokiri were quite the eupeptic bunch. Even after they were informed of Link's identity, they still rushed out to greet him as he and Sheik exited the Deku Tree's pass. Monsters no longer inhabited the village, and they most likely now realized that they could now exit their homes and resume life as they once did several years ago.

They could once again play in the grass, take a splash in the stream, or simply watch the clouds go by.

Link had often wondered if he was doing the right thing, even before the series of events that triggered much death and destruction. When he was growing up he often pondered if what he was doing or was about to do something that would aid himself or another. He was rarely deceived, but he did see it happen. The people he knew weren't the type who would tell him to do things that were against his better judgement, although Mido had a way of shaping his words in such a way that Link barely suspected anything.

Possibly the year before Link left the forest, little Maron had lost one of her favourite storybooks. Link, passing by at the moment when she was in a panic, was the first she asked to help her find it. Not a selfish person, Link willingly agreed to assist Maron in her search.

She had claimed that she saw Mido with it last, but couldn't remember if he gave it back to her or not. Feeling somewhat resentful to be forced to confront him, Link headed off towards Mido's house. Upon his arrival, Mido claimed that he had given it back to Maron, but he had some idea of where it might be. Answering to Link's enquiry, he declared that he had spotted Tamika, a quiet female Kokiri, exiting Maron's house with something in hand. He said that he wasn't sure if it was the book or not.

After Mido said that he wasn't sure about it, Link decided to investigate. He bumped into Tamika by the river, and began to ask her about the book, to which she declined any knowledge. Beginning to get irritated, Link started to raise his voice, since he was quite convinced that Tamika was the one that plundered the storybook.

Tamika wasn't the type that took too kindly to people getting mad at her for no particular reason. She slapped Link across the face, and Link couldn't recall if he had ever felt such a wicked sting since then. As he left the scene, he found Mido kindly handing the book back to a thankful Maron.

Since then, Link had been careful with trusting people, especially those he already had little faith in. Looking at the Kokiri reminded him of what he was supposedly fighting for, and he could only pray that he was indeed taking the right steps in order to ensure their safety from the death grip that was still strangling most of Hyrule. They were innocent, and it was preposterous that they would have to endure such punishment from Phantom.

By killing the spirit, Link felt somewhat better, but at the same time guilt kissed the back of his neck as a result of taking pleasure in causing harm to another. He often had trouble dealing with himself when his thoughts began to lurk around the possibility that he might be no better than Ganondorf, killing out of revenge and anger, slaughtering other living things because of their position on the chess board.

Link knew he had good intentions, but then again the same message might be playing in Ganondorf's head as well. Link began to ponder if he was the villain and Ganondorf was the hero. Of course, that's how Ganondorf looked at it, but how was Link supposed to know whose point of view was the correct one?

Maybe he didn't know right from wrong after all.

The Kokiri surrounded him as if he were some kind of holy being descended from the heavens; perhaps they saw him as he came down from the Sacred Realm. Their bright eyes glittered with fascination, ever watching stars that lit up the night sky. He didn't deserve this appreciation; he was no saint. He had failed to protect Tamil from Phantom Ganon, resulting in her death, and he had taken several souls down with her. He never thought he would regret anything he did on his journey to this extent, but he stood corrected. No matter how many times Sheik told him how well he had done, nothing would change the past. Perhaps it was best not to dwell on it; that's what he was usually told, anyway.

These familiar faces seemed more distant than they used to. Their smiles were unknown to him, their encouraging comments and questions inaudible gibberish. Who were these children? They weren't the ones he knew as a child; these were inaccurate mockeries of his old friends, if you could call them friends. These were all impostors, just like Phantom, trying to trick him into doing something he didn't want to do.

They had gotten a lot better at deceiving. For a second Link thought they had rushed out to greet him and congratulate him on his success; but no, these were the remnants of Phantom's forces, sent out to avenge the death of their master.

It was no wonder they seemed so strange as he looked into their eyes. Their gleams were but the venom-packed fangs of serpents, ready to strike at any given moment, injecting the poison into Link's veins.

He had to run; he was not going to be fooled by these apparitions. He took a step back, but they followed like moths to a flame. There was no other option. He could only assume that a silent Sheik would get the message when he made his move.

"Get away from me!" Link cried, turning on his heels and attempting to sprint in the opposite direction of the gathering children. When he brought one of his feet forward, something grabbed hold of his foot. They were trying to keep him still, but he'd be damned if he let them drag him away. He desperately tried to yank his foot free of the thing's grip, but it remained put, remaining perfectly still as if Link had his foot caught under cement. One final tug and Link lost his footing, and fell over in a deafening silence. His chin barely missed the legs of the Kokiri surrounding him, but it slammed into the dirt in an instant, rattling his teeth.

He was done with having pain inflicted upon him for one day, but somewhere out there somebody found amusement in his suffering. He quickly turned to look at his foot to see who had grabbed it, hoping for a chance to kick them off.

Unfortunately, Link could only lie there, humiliated as per usual. His foot was not clasped in the hands of a struggling Kokiri, nor in the jaws of a surviving beast. The leather of his boot was only trapped in maw of a small root sticking out of the ground, not particularly visible sitting amongst the grass.

With a quick flick of the ankle, Link freed himself of the organic vice and managed to sit up, trying to ignore the titters and giggles of the Kokiri. He massaged his chin, trying to irritate the spirits of pain, hopefully convincing them to depart.

"That was a nasty fall," said Sheik, kneeling down beside him, causing some of the children to back off a few steps. At first glance, Sheik seemed threatening, but Link knew too much of his compassionate side to flinch at his movements.

"Not the first time you've done this…" Link mumbled.

"Would you prefer I leave you on the ground when you suffer a mortal blow, then?" said Sheik dryly.

"It was an observation, not a complaint," Link explained. "Thanks anyway."

Link looked off to the right, watching the tops of some Kokiri's heads parting in a certain area, as if someone was hastily shoving through them. Link cracked a smile, picturing this thing as Ganondorf, running through to shake his fist at him.

When the person broke through the barrier of children, Link found that he wasn't that far off.

"Hey, what does a guy have to do to get a good view here?" scolded Mido, giving the Kokiri some dirty looks. When he looked at Link, he had a facial expression that Link had never seen him give him.

"You okay there, bud?" he said. Mido seemed as if he had somewhat of a concern for Link's well being, and he couldn't help but feel in a loop.

"Erm…I'm fine, thank you," said Link, slowly rising to his feet. As he gradually regained his full height, he fully realized how small Mido really was. Sure, Link naturally had more mass than him as a child, but he never thought of him as short. The facial expression he was most likely unintentionally showing brought a whole new aura to surround him. His abnormally large mouth did not droop down in a frown of disgust and anger, nor curl up into a smirk of satisfaction; it remained perfectly neutral and somewhat held back in nervousness. His eyes blinked almost at a set pace, subconsciously trying to make himself look collected before him. What surprised Link even more was that his posture did not seem to hold back any antagonistic threat. His arms hung loosely by his sides, his palms facing slightly forward, as if they were trying to show Link that they weren't holding anything.

This new and improved Mido was so hauntingly different than the one Link knew and grew to despise, that it almost brought chills up his spine.

"So…" Mido mumbled, feeling uncomfortable under Link's wide-eyed stare. He scratched his head and looked off. "You…got rid of the monsters, didn't you?"

"Yeah," said Link silently, crossing his arms. The last time Mido accused him of doing something, it was a lot worse than that. "What? You want to thank me or something?"

"Well…yeah," Mido murmured. He looked back up at Link, his eyes almost fearful. "We've dealt with those baddies for a long time. I never thought someone would finally come around and get rid of them."

"And now that the Deku Tree Sprout is growing in the meadow, you won't have to worry about any more fiends entering the forest," Link explained.

The Kokiri hushed, silently muttering amongst themselves. It was obviously news to them, hence the reason why Link announced it. Their heads moved left and right, passing the information on to those who might have tuned out.

Mido, surprisingly, was the only one of them who didn't say anything.

"Look," said Link. "If you think you need to repay me, you don't—"

"It's not that!" Mido blurted, making Link flinch. He lowered his head, not baring to look at Link anymore. "It's just that…Saria…won't ever come back, will she?"

Link immediately drew in a quick puff of air, trying to look as collected as possible. He didn't really know what to say to him, since this was a really delicate subject. He didn't want to lie to him, though, for that would be deceiving, and Link hated that.

"No…" Link muttered. "I'm sorry…"

Again, the Kokiri began to whisper to each other, making sure everyone knew what was going on.

"But…I…I made a promise to Saria…" said Mido, his voice shaking.

"A promise?"

"Yeah," said Mido, trembling a little. "If you came back, I would be sure to tell you that Saria had been waiting for you…"

Link was silent. He found himself in the dividing line as he looked at Mido, standing there, shaking uncontrollably. It looked like he was about to cry.

"Because Saria…really…liked…"

Instead of a final word to finish the sentence, all that came out of Mido's mouth was an unstable discharge of air, coming out from the spaces between the inside of his lips and his teeth. Had it not been for his previous statements, Link would've been clueless of what that sound was.

It wasn't like he found this normal, though. As long as he had known him, Mido had never shown much emotion to Link, besides that of smugness and aggression. Why he broke down in front of him now, Link could make some sense of, but he couldn't think of any other situation in which Mido would have some kind of chance of acting like this. Mido cared about Saria; Link knew that, and he knew that this must've been hard for him. Despite the fact that Mido couldn't care less that Link felt the same way about never seeing Saria again, Link felt bad for him. Link knew that Saria enjoyed his company, and was now helping him on his quest, but she had simply abandoned Mido, one who had tried so hard to gain her favour.

Link was left with a great advantage, but Mido was left with nothing. Maybe he didn't understand what he was going through at all. Link would never forgive himself, but he pitied him.

"Okay…" said a whimpering Mido, wiping a tear off his cheek. He looked up at Link, his eyes still pink from the sobbing. "It's you…right? Link?"

Link paused for a moment, then nodded.

Mido sighed shakily, and slowly closed his eyes, eventually cringing. Something brewing in his mind was causing him some nervousness, even regret. His lips moved, but generated no sound. He wanted to say something, and Link decided to patiently wait for him to let the cat out of the bag.

Eventually the words came out.

"I'm…sorry…for being mean to you…"

All of Link's life, he had longed for Mido to say that. Not once had he shown any remorse for his actions, never hesitating to make Link's days a living hell. Saria, Mido's one weakness, had always managed to prevent him from doing too much damage, but he always managed to make his way around her and continue along his business. Had it not been for Link's astounding patience with the child, Mido would've easily broken him.

Yet here he was, completely ashamed of how he had treated Link in the past. Perhaps he was thankful of what Link had done for the Kokiri tribe, even though he was different from them, and always would be. Maybe Mido began to regret what he did after Link left and never returned for seven long years. Maybe since he understood that Link was Saria's best friend that he gained a new respect for him, now that Saria had left the world they lived in.

Whatever the reason was, it didn't matter. Link commended Mido to having the courage to say that to him. Link never thought he would see the day when Mido taught him a lesson: everyone matures. No matter what people are like in the past, it is most likely that they will change for better or for worse. It was a natural thing, even if Mido was of a race that never grew old. Their minds evolved, just like every other living thing. Guilt had finally come to Mido, and even though it was a horrible feeling, it was one that was vital to a good person. With regret comes decency, and with decency comes respect.

Link smiled. "Apology accepted."

Mido looked up, and smiled as well. "Heh…you're still weird, though."

Link shrugged. "I suppose I can't change that. Sometimes it's good to be weird, you know?"

Link was surprised the conversation lasted this long. Usually they would be in an argument by now.

"So…what are you going to do now?" asked Mido. "Are you going to stay here or something?"

Link shook his head. "Although I would love to, there is too much staring me down. I need to defeat the remaining four guardians, just like I did here."

Mido smiled for a bit, but eventually frowned. "I suppose…you were just meant for greater things than me…"

"You have a big job on your shoulders," Link assured him. "While I'm gone, you're going to continue to make sure that the Kokiri are well. Saria will watch over you, and the Deku Tree sprout as well, but the Kokiri need a leader of their own, and I hate to say it but you're the one best fitted for the role."

Mido looked back up, some hope in his eyes. "Really? Why?"

"I suppose you have a natural talent for keeping people in line," Link admitted. "If I ever have a need for the people I grew up with, you are going to be the first of them to know, got it?"

Mido nodded and smiled. "Got it."

"I'll have to be on my way," said Link, looking over his shoulder. "I really doubt I'm going to get much of a break, so I have to get as much rest as possible."

"Wait!" squeaked a tiny voice from the back. Once again, some of the Kokiri were shoved aside as someone began barging through them.

Little Maron stumbled out of the front row, holding one of her favourite stuffed animals. She regained her balance, and stared at Link as if he were some kind of holy artefact. After an uneasy gaze, she reached into one of her pockets, and withdrew a very rare Deku Plum.

Deku Plums were an uncommon fruit that only grew deep within the boundaries of the Lost Woods. Although they were hard to come by, Link had his fair share of them. The outer skin was thin and easy to chew through, letting the sweet juices of the fruit flow out onto the grateful tongue of the devourer. The core was edible, but never eaten. Perhaps the person in question who was eating the fruit was so used to the nearly overwhelming sweetness that they didn't really have a craving for the strong, salty nucleus. The fruits had seeds, but they were so small that they could barely be seen at all. Therefore the core was soft, and possibly softer than the outer, sweeter part of the plum.

Maron held the Deku Plum in two hands, and presented it to Link like a royal decree.

"Thank you," she said. "This is for you."

With a courteous smile, Link slowly retrieved the fruit out of its owner's hands. He remembered it being a lot bigger than this, but he figured why. He looked at the glossy skin of the fruit, overlapping its bright-red colour with clouds of white light. Just looking at it made him anxious to dig in.

"That's very sweet of you, Maron," said Link.

Maron lit up, the sadness in her eyes instantly washed away. "You remember me!"

"For me, it hasn't really been that long," Link explained. "I remember everyone."

It was true. Link was surprised, since it was actually seven years for the Kokiri, and only hours for him. They all still remembered him as clearly as he did them. Although they treated him with a new respect now, Link could still recognise their personalities.

Whether they were the same race or not, these were Link's people, and they would remain that way forever.

"We know that you've only helped part of Hyrule," said Mido. "We know that there are other places that are facing the same thing that you just freed us from."

Link nodded. "That's right."

"Then…" Mido mumbled. "Go help them. I don't want to be sitting here thinking of how other people just like us are suffering. Whatever it is that you need to do, go do it."

"Yeah!" Maron exclaimed cheerfully. "We'll be right here, cheering you on!"

"Thank you, all of you," said Link. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You can come back here any time you want," said Mido. "We're not going anywhere."

Link nodded and began to turn around towards the west, towards Hyrule Field. He took a few paces, without saying a word, his head hanging low slightly. He walked past Sheik, his arms crossed, eyeing him steadily underneath those strands of gold as Link passed. Eventually, he began to follow.

* * *

_Volvagia had been presented with his minions. Ganondorf had supplied him with creatures that were resistant to the intense heat of the Fire Temple, and they were all eager to begin their services to him._

_Although the ancient dragon was uncomfortable with having underlings, he enjoyed it at the same time. In his previous life, he was a lone soldier, doing as he pleased. Volvagia had struck fear into the hearts of those that were beginning life in Hyrule, torching small villages and kidnapping their inhabitants to appease his unending hunger for raw meat. Being supplied with a small division of minions might have proved to be of some worth after all. He didn't have much experience in pushing others around, but he knew the science of it._

_As the newest member of the Five Guardians, Volvagia had to make his name known, otherwise he would forever be subjected to a reign of alleged inferiority. He had to make use of these troops, and make an impact as soon as possible._

"_Your orders, Guardian?" asked a Flare Dancer. "We are at your service."_

_Volvagia paused for a moment. "The Fire Barrier has sat atop of this wretched mountain for several long years. It is hardly known, yet it should strike fear into the hearts of mortals!"_

"_What would you have us do, Lord Volvagia?"_

"_Send out a dispatch," Volvagia ordered. "Those filthy Gorons live freely on the slopes of my mountain. We shall make an example of them, to show the whole world what happens to those who defy our master!"_

"_Kill them?" questioned the Flare Dancer._

"_No…" said Volvagia, flames escaping through his teeth. "Capture them alive. I want none left behind."_

_They were to die anyway._

"_We shall see it done, my lord," said the Flare Dancer. "Shall we send out patrol groups as well?"_

"_Yes," Volvagia hissed. "Let all of the fools in Kakariko tremble before our glory. Let them cry; it is of no matter. I will crush any force who opposes me."_

"_If the Gorons display a strong resistance," said the Flare Dancer. "What are your orders then?"_

"_Kill as many as you can," said Volvagia. "They should not prove as too much of a problem; I have had much experience with them in the past."_

"_And when captured?"_

"_Bring them to me," Volvagia growled. "I will see to it."_

"_Including their leader?"_

"_If he manages to avoid arrest, it has little meaning. His stubbornness for the protection of his people will lead him directly to me in the end. I have foreseen it."_

_The Flare Dancer bowed gracefully. "All is understood, my lord. We shall see to it at once."_

_To attempt to understand their leader's intentions was treason, thus the soldiers did not say a word as they turned to their duties, to spread the orders. They slithered, stomped, hissed, and crackled out of sight, into the heat-oppressed darkness beyond. Volvagia, the gargantuan, snake-like subterranean lava dragon, was left in the heart of the Fire Temple, alone with his thoughts, forever obliged to serve his new master._

_His slit-like eyes peered into the surrounding lava, pouring over the edges of the walls, never deteriorating. The Fire Temple was constructed with stone, laced with polyphenylene sulfide, an outstandingly heat-resistant metal mined near the lower slopes of Death Mountain. Thus, lava could flow freely through the temple, established deep within the volcanic rock of the mountain._

_Volvagia lived long before the building of the five temples; therefore he had never seen this place before. His original dwelling was unfortified, as he simply made his domain in the flowing lava churning in the crater of Death Mountain._

_He liked this place a lot more. He felt as if he was safer here, under the extremely fortified walls of the temple. His minions had already rearranged some of the monuments in the sanctuary in his honour. The Fire Temple had changed from a place to worship the fire spirits, to a monument to Volvagia and the Great Ganondorf._

_Volvagia's long hair, composed of pure flame, forever fuelled by his essence, drooped silently over one side of his head. It produced intense heat, but to Volvagia it was but a cool breeze._

_It could've been the white heat of his mouth that distorted the red light of his hair, but even then it wouldn't generate such an eerie blue glow. Something had appeared, and was watching him._

_Not turning abruptly, Volvagia slowly twisted his neck muscles, letting his head look to the left, allowing him a clear view of the unknown presence._

_It was a sharp contrast to the surrounding area, but there stood a beryl sphere, floating amongst the sparks and embers bursting from the melting rock. It seemed as it were composed of water, but any such substance would surely evaporate instantly at this heat. It must've been a portal of some kind, the other end of which was in an underwater area._

_Amidst the water-like background, a stranger entity made its appearance: a small, odd ball throbbing to the beat of a heart. Veins were strung across it, each one of them pulsating to its own rhythm. Its amoebic appearance suggested that it was alive, and full of energy. It floated around in the strange water, eventually revealing a pitch black eye, which steadied itself and took its gaze upon Volvagia. It began to murmur and hiss somewhat coherent words._

"…_new…guardian…" it muttered._

"_I am Volvagia, the Guardian of Fire," he said. "Speak. What are you, creature?"_

"…_guardian…water…"_

"_You claim to be the Guardian of Water?" spat Volvagia. "I find it hard to believe one such as yourself, who can barely articulate its words, is responsible for guarding the Water Barrier."_

"…_inability…speech…intelligence…remains…"_

"_Perhaps," said Volvagia. "What are you called?"_

"…_Morpha…"_

"_You're the one they call Morpha?" questioned Volvagia. "Why do you converse with me so? I doubt you've come here to bid me welcome."_

"…_other guardians…" said Morpha. "…watching…you…"_

"_They need not," Volvagia growled. "As a guardian I am free to do as I please."_

"…_Forest Guardian…" Morpha hissed. "…traitor…"_

"_Was he, now?" Volvagia chuckled. "I'm sure you don't suspect the same with me?"_

"…_other Fire Guardian…traitor…as well…"_

"_I see," Volvagia agreed. "So, you come here to give me a warning? I'm sure the other two guardians really do not have such a concern."_

"…_Volvagia…" Morpha whispered. "…makes reckless moves…"_

"_So, my first action as a guardian already makes me a suspected traitor…I'm disappointed in the reasoning of the others." He looked at Morpha with a devious stare. "I may have not been a guardian for long, but I can safely say I have much more experience in life. I have died; you haven't."_

_Some slow gurgles came from Morpha. It might've been trying to say something, but whatever it was, Volvagia couldn't hear it._

"_Allow me to make a suggestion," Volvagia growled. "Do not make the same mistake the Forest Guardian did; stay within your boundaries. Our master does not like it when we start thinking and acting outside our own limits. What you other guardians are focusing on is none of your concern."_

_Morpha paused for a moment, and then spoke._

"…_careful…" it said softly. "…other guardians…still watchful…"_

_Morpha's portal shrunk, lost its stability, and snapped shut in seconds._

_Volvagia was once alone in his domain. He felt as if the other guardians had too little trust in him, but it didn't matter. They would soon realize how powerful he truly was; it was only a matter of time.

* * *

_

Stepping out the final row of trees, fleeing from his past, letting the warm, open arms of youth slip away in silence and obscurity, Link exited the Forbidden Forest, munching on the last chunk of the Deku Plum, Sheik following closely behind.

Link savoured the fruit's sweet juices, but couldn't help but feel sombre once he was left with the small, salty core. It still glistened, basking in the light of the eye of Din, calmly beginning to claim its resting place beneath the mountains to the west. The air was not ginger quite yet, therefore there was time before darkness once again engulfed the world, and the pale sphere of remaining hope would make its climb into the inky heavens.

The dark side of the world was still fast approaching, and Link had a bad feeling that he would be trapped within it if he was to stay here much longer. The air was dry, however, not bringing any warning of the sky preparing to shed tears.

Sheik calmly strode up beside him, seemingly cautious of Link's current state of mind.

"I know many souls who wouldn't have the strength to do what you did, Link," he reassured him. "Don't feel down. You exit this forest knowing your true past."

Link had a trace of a smile on his face, but it was fleeting. "Sometimes some emotions outweigh the next."

"You shouldn't think like that," Sheik advised. "You're being pessimistic."

Link slowly approached Epona, patiently waiting by the same tree Link had tied her to before he entered the woodland. She seemed quite enthusiastic as he approached. She had been waiting for a while; Link was surprised that she wasn't angry at him. Before entering, he promised her that he would come back with food, and he had to live up to it.

"Hey, Sheik," Link called over his shoulder. "Don't horses like salty food?"

Sheik sighed impatiently. "Probably."

Link's pale smile grew vaguely, fiddling with the core of the fruit between three of his fingers, coating them in a thin layer of juice. The grains of salt flickered in the bright but dying sunlight, making the mushy core of the fruit somewhat surreal. Placing it into the palm of his hand, he outstretched his arm towards Epona, offering her the small morsel of food.

The horse leaned forward, sniffed the bright red, soggy fruit, and proceeded to take it into her mouth with its tongue and lips. She seemed pretty happy as she gobbled it down. Link stroked her head.

"Well, what do you know?" he said. "It looks like Epona is the first person to eat the core of a Deku Plum…"

"Link…" Sheik muttered lowly. "I'm…"

Link turned around, continuing to run his fingers through Epona's mane. He stared at Sheik, who's eyes were wandering.

"Yes?" said Link. "You're what?"

"…proud…of you," Sheik mumbled, not looking directly at Link.

"Proud of me?"

"Yes."

"How?"

Sheik sighed and looked up towards the sky. "Somehow…after I abandoned you in the Forest Temple, I wondered if it was really the right thing to do."

"Oh…" Link murmured, looking off. "How did you get out of that mess, by the way?"

"What mess?"

"The Moblins."

"Are you kidding?" Sheik chuckled. "There was only about five of them."

"So?"

"I'd be no Sheikah if I were to be slain by a small group of Moblins," Sheik explained. "Their eyesight is poor in the dark, worse than yours or mine. I managed to slip by them in the shade and take them out one by one from behind."

"Isn't that cheating?"

"I like to look at it as taking advantage of the situation."

Link nodded and turned his head off to the side. He scanned the crisp yet blurred line where the green met the blue; neither blended into each other, but in spite of that there was no pinpointed area where they actually touched. Due to Link's long exposure to the forest, never really remembering what the plains of Hyrule Field looked like, he almost thought of this commonly seen view as two opposing worlds, clashing against each other in a wave of fury. The world seemed to curve in the opposite direction, not hiding anything from the eye of the beholder.

"Anyway," said Sheik, causing Link to turn back. "After I left the temple to secure the area, I began to worry about my decision. I wondered if it was really the best to leave you unguarded. When I thought about it I realized that it didn't matter if I kept the perimeters defended if you died inside." He took his eyes off the sky and down to Link. "Judging by your current presence, I suppose my assumptions of Phantom's power were somewhat overestimated?"

Link shook his head. "I wouldn't say so."

"Go on."

"When I was down there, it looked like he was always a step ahead of me." He shrugged. "I sometimes would manage to catch up, but it was as if he knew long beforehand what I was planning to do. I was often left feeling helpless; if it wasn't Saria being held in there, I don't know what would be pushing me forward."

"If he was always a step ahead," said Sheik. "Then how did you manage to win in the end?"

"I don't have a straight answer for that one," Link admitted. "I guess it all kind of inadvertently backfired at the end. I'm not exactly sure how I got lucky, or how he got carried away. Even then, I barely managed to make it out of there."

"You should be proud of yourself, nonetheless," said Sheik.

Link sighed. It was one of those sighs that come out through both anxiety and doubt, usually a mixture of the two. He never thought he'd be the one confessing things he's held back; it was one of those things that he despised in people. He was a hypocrite.

"How could I…be proud of myself? I shouldn't have been me who did what was done…it should've been you."

Sheik raised his eyebrows. "Why do you say that?"

"Well…because…" He sighed again, letting his shoulders relax and his back hunch. "…you're better than me," he growled.

"Better?" said Sheik, puzzled. "At what?"

"Fighting. What else?" said Link, looking away. "You're a Sheikah, part of a clan that devoted its ways to the art of combat. What am I? I'm just your average Hylian, misguided and stubborn, lacking experience. If you and me were to duel…you'd win."

"Don't you ever think like that, Hero of Time," Sheik snapped. "Sure, I may have had a few more years experience, and yes; my eyes and reflexes may be slightly sharper than yours, but that would never make me a greater warrior than you."

Link let out one quick, sarcastic chuckle. "Then what would?"

"Link, you have a heart," said Sheik. "That unwavering faith you have in the good of human resolve lights your way through the blackness that threatens to engulf you. You stand up and refuse to go down without a fight. You trust your friends, and even love them below the awareness of your mind. Your compassion for the innocent keeps you moving, and yet your mercy for the wicked keeps you focused. Even your enemies are part of your life, and the more you get to know them, the closer you come to victory. Your open-ended mindset allows you to ensure your progress is towards a better future, and it allows you to see both faces of the story, since the dark side of the globe can often be the most beautiful. What you have, Link, is a righteous heart and a flexible mind. You are valiant in battle, and even more valiant in confronting your own personal issues that hold no service to the ultimate goal. A warrior's technical skill is never as strong as his soul, which determines who he protects, who he betrays, who he joins, and who he kills. The greatest warrior strives to achieve what is best for others, and not just thirst for glory and power. That, Link, is something I can never achieve. Although I possess much knowledge, I can be easily corrupted, like most people. I trust you to guide me as I guide you, to make sure I stay on the correct path. Like you, I am only human; I am not immortal."

Of all the things Sheik had said, this had made the most sense.

He could've been cryptic at times, but when Sheik came out with a reassuring speech, it hit home, if not extremely close. He was a very observant person, and only knowing Link for such a short time, he already understood him so well.

Perhaps Link was a simple individual; an easy-to-read book.

"Sheik…" Link mumbled, still not turning towards him. "…thank you…"

"Now that Phantom is dead," said Sheik. "The others know that you have these astounding capabilities."

Link looked up, and finally turned his head back to the young Sheikah. "When do you think they'll find out?"

"I'm sure they are all fully aware of it by now," said Sheik sombrely. "You have no idea how quickly information spreads amongst them…The Forest Guardian's attempted betrayal…his death…"

"What's going to happen now?" Link asked, feeling his heart beginning to ache.

Sheik looked up and off towards the tops of the trees. "The Guardians will try to smother you, if they were to be logical."

"All of them?"

"All of them."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Link blurted. "I can't handle four guardians at once!"

Sheik blinked. "Calm down. You won't have to face four at once."

"But you just said—"

"The Guardians have their sights fixed and removing you from the picture, and each one of them will try to get to you first. However, their internal conflicts would ultimately result in them turning against each other were they to confront you simultaneously."

"Oh…" Link mumbled, brightening up slightly. "Well…that's a good thing, isn't it?"

Sheik crossed his arms, hiding his wild eyes under his hair. "Although it would be convenient, to put it bluntly, it won't happen; the Guardians know better than to act so thoughtlessly."

"I'm afraid…" Link admitted. "I have no idea what they are planning. Who knows? I could get killed in my sleep at any given moment. All they have to do is give the word…"

"That won't happen either," Sheik assured him. "The remaining four are not permitted outside the surrounding area of their respective temples, or to send out any patrols beyond the perimeter, either. If you remain at Lon Lon Ranch or any other area that you free from the grip of Ganondorf, they cannot touch you."

Link opened his mouth, but swiftly closed it with a hint of regret. He felt immature, complaining about the obvious threats looming on the horizon, when he already knew it was something he couldn't escape. Rambling on about how he was afraid of the guardians wasn't going to make them go away; he had to fight them sooner or later. He wondered if they were thinking the same thing, after they heard the news of Phantom's death.

Sheik looked like he was about to say something, but stopped himself as well. He gazed off into the west, wide-eyeing the sight like a child witnessing violence. Link tried to peer down in the same direction Sheik was looking, but only saw the same colourful view as he did before; there was nothing different. The only possible thing that had changed since he last looked was a small flock of crows were making their way south across the plains, most likely gaining ground to begin their evening hunt.

"Sheik?" said Link. "What are you looking at?"

"You must head back to Lon Lon Ranch. You shouldn't stay out here for much longer," Sheik replied quickly.

Link knew Sheik was right, but there was something in his voice that was somewhat off. "Are…you okay?" he forced himself to ask.

Sheik looked down and shook his head. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You don't sound all right…"

"I'm okay," said Sheik, raising his voice. "Head back to the ranch; you need your rest."

"You do too," Link replied. "I'm worried about you. Where are you going to stay?"

Sheik slouched, rocking his head back and forth, the shadows of the evening air hiding the details of his face. "Anywhere is fine for me. You don't need to worry."

"I don't think so," said Link. "It's dangerous at night. You shouldn't be sleeping just anywhere."

Sheik seemed to be irritated. "I thought I already made myself clear. I—"

He suddenly looked back at the horizon, watching those strange crows again. Those child-like eyes made their appearance again, not ripping the chain that attached them to the sight.

"Well…" he mumbled. "I suppose you have a better idea?"

"How about coming with me to Lon Lon Ranch?" Link suggested. "I'm sure Malon won't mind."

"You sure about that?" Sheik asked silently, still not averting his eyes from the west. "You've known her longer than I have."

"She's compassionate," Link assured him. "She welcomes all kinds of guests; after all, the ranch was built so people could visit."

"If…you insist…" Sheik mumbled, summoning an effort and closing his eyes. "I suppose it would be a lot better than sleeping out in the open."

"There you go," said Link with a smile. "Honestly, Sheik, you can be weird sometimes."

Sheik let out a humorous sigh. "You can be a deep thinker, but maybe not all the time."

After untying the rope from the tree, Link planted his right foot in Epona's foot harness, gripped the top of the saddle, and hoisted himself up. He swung his other foot around, and placed it snugly in the other harness.

"Meet you there in a few?" said Link, turning his head calmly over to Sheik.

Sheik looked off, as if he were ignoring him. He was still looking at those crows. "Sure," he said. "I'll be there."

Without any further words, Link kicked off Epona, letting her burst away from the forest and her eager anticipation. Link didn't wait to watch Sheik disappear in a cloud of smoke, but somehow, he might've just heard the sound behind him.

* * *

_Saria slowly ran her fingers through the liquid-like vision below her. She thought she could touch him; it seemed so real. It shivered to the stroke, but fell silent quicker than water, rendering the image to its normal state. He moved, trampling the plains with brute force. Those plains, she feared, she would never see again. She felt empowered, but imprisoned. Had it not been for the reassuring words bouncing about in her mind, playing over and over again, she would not want this._

"_He rides west," said Rauru to her right. "His heart is bright; he seems contented."_

"_For now," said Saria. "He should savour these feelings while they last."_

_Rauru sighed. "You don't seem too enthralled about becoming a Sage, Saria. Is something troubling you?"_

_Saria leaned back and sat down. She thought she would feel happy, sitting on a pedestal constructed in her honour, but she felt nothing._

"_Not to be able to see my world again…" she mumbled. "It seems like a weighty sacrifice."_

"_But with that sacrifice comes great power, Forest Sage," said Rauru kindly. "With your newfound knowledge and status, you will be able to aid the world you love so much."_

"_At the moment, it's a nice thought to think about," Saria agreed. "But I still worry."_

"_About what?"_

_Saria did not take her eyes off the visual portal in the centre of the platform, showing Link riding his horse across Hyrule Field._

"_If we are to be successful in sealing away the dark one, what then?" she asked._

"_Saria, you have been blessed with all the knowledge of the Sages," said Rauru. "If there is something you don't know, then I don't know either."_

"_I just wonder," said Saria, leaning her head against her shoulder. "After everything is all said and done, what is the fate of the Sages? I'm not just worrying about myself, but the others as well once they're awakened."_

"_Sometimes you just have to leave things to fate," Rauru admitted. "I have dwelled here in the Temple of Light for millennia, and thus I have grown accustomed to my duties as a Sage. Like you said, Saria, it is destiny that you and the Hero of Time cannot live in the same world."_

"_Is destiny always for the best?" Saria asked._

"_It is a matter of opinion," said Rauru. "I tend to believe that good things come out of the destinies of those with pure hearts, and the opposite for evil ones."_

_Saria smiled. "Define good and evil."_

"_Touché," Rauru mumbled. "One man's champion is another man's nemesis, as Ganondorf so bluntly put it."_

"_For all we know," said Saria. "We are in fact the evil ones, trying to kill a hero."_

"_Do heroes kill people as sacrifices to their own glory?"_

"_No, but maybe that's not what he did," Saria supposed. "Maybe he's punishing us for our sins…"_

"_If that is the case, then we've atoned for them, and we've suffered long enough," said Rauru. "Ganondorf's plan has spun far out of control, and I am questioning his sanity. We can't have so many people being forced to worship for such a person."_

"_We're powerless," Saria sighed._

"_At the moment, yes," Rauru agreed. "We can only rely on the Hero of Time to break the remaining four barriers. Only then will we have a chance at stopping Ganondorf."_

"_Even then," Saria exhaled. "It's still a small chance. Do you really think what we're doing is necessary?"_

_Rauru nodded. "Absolutely. If a small chance is the best we are going to get, then that's what we are going to strive for."_

"_Perhaps," Saria agreed. "But guilt will undoubtedly follow."_

_Rauru fell silent for a moment. "With that guilt comes the thanks of many."_

"_One cannot just assume that," said Saria glumly. "People's resolve can be…spontaneous."_

"_For a Sage, you seem to think negatively of a lot of things," said Rauru. "Is something troubling you?"_

_Saria looked up from the portal, peering into the endless darkness above. There was a thick, opaque roof that covered the Temple of Light, but it was not known if it was a physical thing or not._

"_Adapting to this new world…it's affecting my views on things."_

"_Give it time," said Rauru. "You will soon become accustomed to it, and it will become much easier to think clearly once the others arrive."_

"_Yes…" Saria muttered, staring back into the liquid vision. She began to slowly run her fingers through it again. "…I suppose you're right…"

* * *

_

Arriving sooner than he expected, Link steered Epona through the gate to Lon Lon Ranch, sitting on top of the gentle slop in the centre of Hyrule Field. He wasn't sure why Epona managed to get here quicker than the first trip, especially since the second was mostly uphill.

It might've been the Deku Plum.

The air was stale, but warm nonetheless. There was hardly any wind, and it was dry to the smell. The faint sounds of evening crickets made their entrance, signalling to the world the sun's slow descent.

Epona was kicking up small amounts of dust, but even then it seemed a little too fast of a pace to be entering the ranch. Link pulled back lightly on the reins, bringing his disappointed horse to a trot.

The sun flashed between his bangs, gradually levelling itself with the earth, preparing to scorch the sky with an ochre glaze, dying the ashen clouds a contrasting dark violet. Its heat pelted Link's chest, almost reassuring him as much as the touch of a human hand.

He slowed Epona down even more as they approached the crest of the hill.

The smell of the country air was not exactly as fresh as that of the forest, but it was just as sweet. It was pure in the sense that there was nothing to contaminate it, other than with the forest where there was something to always keep it fresh.

It wasn't as hot as it was yesterday, which was a good thing; Link had worked up enough of as sweat as it was.

There was Sheik, leaning up against the stable, there before Link as usual. He didn't seem to notice him right away, possibly lost in his own thoughts. Eventually, he did turn his head, once again locking a silent gaze at Link with his cardinal eyes.

"Late?" Sheik called out.

"Early."

"How early?"

"An hour."

"I suppose I'm lucky."

"Very."

Link pulled Epona up to the side of the stable, just under the lip of the roof, where he swiftly dismounted, landing on his wobbly legs, feeling distinctively short again.

"How do you manage to get around so fast?" asked Link, stretching his quadriceps, feeling somewhat numb.

"Secret," Sheik mumbled nonchalantly.

"You know what I think?" said Link with a smirk.

Sheik looked at him. "It would be nice if I could read minds."

"I've got it all figured out," Link declared.

Sheik blinked. "Oh, really?"

"All you do is when you disappear, that big white flash that happens actually knocks the observer out for an hour, giving you a head start!"

Sheik grunted. "Very funny."

"But, seriously," said Link. "How much practice does it take to be able to move that fast?"

"Years," Sheik burbled. "Much dedication."

Link peered off towards Malon's front door, made of old oak, possibly from the outer trees of the Forbidden Forest. Link didn't really mind that the Hylians took supplies from his home, since it didn't affect the inhabitants too much. Sure, if they took abhorrent amounts, it would be different, but it was almost like they were respectful of it, or even fearful.

The colours on the wood never stopped to change, seemingly caught in a swirl, as if it had been brewed in a giant cauldron. Light, golden browns were flanked by rivers of extremely dark variants—some almost black—the endless gaps filled in by a neutral medium.

It was somewhat dull, yet inviting.

"Shall we?" said Link, casting a smirk at Sheik, who refused to reply with words. He simply grunted, letting his eyes fall towards the dusty ground.

Link's eyes narrowed. "Fine then. Ignore me."

Link proceeded forward on the yellow, burnt grass, each blade evenly scorched by the recent blistering afternoons and evenings. Some areas of the ground were darker than others, and rarely there were patches that were still green, mostly towards the walls of the shed and house, which had narrowly escaped the downpour of light and heat.

Link saw the settling clouds begin to disappear behind the horizon's veil, beginning to darken as the sun crept closer to aligning itself behind them. Despite the view, no wind took the effect away, since somehow Link found it easier to appreciate the land when there was a wind to add a final touch to scenery.

Link put one foot up the single step in front of the door, and rapped his knuckles against the wood four times.

There was an odd sound coming from inside, quick and snappy. Despite the fact that the large door muffled the sound, it sounded like something being dropped. There was a brief silence following, letting the hiss of the evening insects begin their solo. Link continued to rest his hand on the door, leaning his head down, listening for anyone coming. After a few moments of nothing, he tried knocking on the door again. Link was about to get frustrated when sound didn't immediately follow, but he eventually picked up some quiet, steady thumping noises; footsteps. They speedily but hesitantly made their way towards the door, yet as they drew closer, they slowed. Eventually they were creeping, probably one step every two seconds. They stopped suddenly, and the silence was once again cued in. A tiny, whispering voice leaked through the thick wood of the door, startling Link somewhat.

"Who…who is it?" the woman whispered.

Link raised an eyebrow, and slowly turned his head around to Sheik, who too was perplexed. A smirk once again showed up on Link's face, as he turned back towards the oak, thinking he could cheer himself up. He cleared his throat, and brought up the roughest voice he could conjure.

"This is Lord Kanakana, servant of the Great Ganondorf!" he lied. "I demand you open this door immediately!"

Malon squeaked. Link could almost hear her feet hit the ground from jumping.

"What!" she cried. "Again?"

Link's smile quickly faded. He left his mouth hanging open slightly, blinking slowly.

"…again?" Link mumbled, returning to his own voice.

There was a short pause, and Link was again faced with the sliding and clicking of the unlocking of the many bolts and chains that prevented that door from opening. The many unusual sounds slowly fell towards the ground, and stopped in a final snap. The knob twisted, and was flung open a lot faster than when Link first saw Malon the day before.

There she was, standing there just a few inches shorter than Link. Her eyes flickered with shock and disbelief, oddly comparable to when she first saw him after seven years. Link looked back at her with the same strange look on his face, still wondering why she said what she said when he pretended to be Kanakana.

Such puzzlement let Malon's violent mood swing bypass his consciousness. Her eyes burned red with anger, and with a flick of her dress, she booted Link hard in the stomach.

Spittle launching out of his mouth, Link was knocked off his feet, and found himself tripping and falling onto his back, only to curl up and try to get through the overwhelming pain in his gut.

"Malon!" he barely managed to yell. "What—"

"Not…funny!" Malon screamed back at him, briefly turning back into the house. She re-emerged with a glass cup, but thought nothing of it as she hurled it at Link's fallen body. It shattered on his elbow, making him cry out in pain, rolling onto his side, now trying to deal with two blows at once.

His concentration was soon broken as he was bombarded by several other objects, mostly kitchenware. Plates, cutlery, glasses, brooms, and pretty much everything that could be found in a home within reason was thrown at him. As Link was struggling on the ground, trying to find a way to get up, he began to wonder why any of these objects failed to cut his skin. Navi managed to scramble out of his cap in order to protect herself, and left Link on his own to endure Malon's punishment.

After one final dinner plate shattered on the back of his head, Link mustered a large amount of energy and hoisted his back off the ground, barely managing to look Malon straight in the eye.

After a few seconds, he began to regret his actions as Malon slammed a metal bucket half full of water over his head. The water poured down his face, off his chin and began to seep down his shirt. He continued to sit there with the pail over his head, staring at the metal in front of his eyes.

"…why do you have a pail of water just lying around your house?" Link asked through the steel.

He was silenced by a deafening blow to the side of the bucket by some kind of hard object, letting the ear-piercing sound echo through his brain. It shook his eyes as much as it shook the bucket, and Link helplessly limped back towards the ground.

Once again Link had submitted to Malon's wrath, possibly more fearful than Ganondorf. In his current state, he thought he was going to be left outside. Malon would kindly let Sheik inside and leave Link out in the rain to think about what he did.

Before he could get too deep into thought, the bucket was removed from his head by the same woman who put it on. Link caught a glimpse of Sheik shaking his head behind him.

Grabbing both of his arms, Malon hoisted Link to his feet. There was water dripping off the ends of his hair, creating a rain-shower of their own. He spat out a little bit of it; it tasted strong, almost like it was a chemical.

"Is this…is this really water?" Link asked.

"Soap water," Malon replied calmly. "I was cleaning."

"I'm just going to pretend that didn't happen," Link grumbled, wringing his hat free of the mixture of water and cleaning substances. "There's a lot I'd like to say to you regarding that, but I'd prefer to move on with my life."

"Oh, well that saves me some trouble," said Malon with a smile. She peered over to Sheik over Link's shoulder. "Is he…seeing you off?"

"Actually," said Link, putting his hat back on. "He doesn't have a place to stay, and now that the Forest Guardian has fallen, the fields are going to be crawling with monsters, I fear."

Malon looked back to Link. "So…he wants to stay here?"

"If it isn't a problem."

"Oh, no problem," Malon said quickly. "I always enjoy guests; the ranch was built so people could enjoy the place."

"See, Sheik?" said Link, turning around. "I told you she wouldn't mind."

"Thank you," Sheik spoke.

"Oh, don't thank me," said Malon as she picked the now empty pail off the ground. "The only time I'm allowed to turn down guests is when the ranch is already fully occupied."

"Sorry for startling you like that," Link apologized. "I thought it would be funny."

"I guess I would've seen the humour in it," Malon admitted. "I guess if it wasn't for what happened earlier, you'd probably be completely dry right now."

"Hm…" Link mumbled. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you about that. I think it's something I need to know."

"I know that," said Malon. "I'll fill you in on it once you come inside. Make yourselves at home."

She pivoted and headed back into the house, beckoning Link and Sheik inside. The two calmly entered the warm abode, pleasantly surprised by inviting aromas coming from the kitchen.

"Dinner?" Link asked.

"Yeah," Malon called from within. "It's still cooking. You boys thirsty?"

"Some water would be nice," Link called back, entering the living room. He turned to Sheik. "You want something?"

"We Sheikah prefer to eat privately. It's our way of life."

"I always thought eating was kind of a social thing."

"To a Hylian eye, yes; not to us," Sheik replied.

"Do you ever wonder why that is?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't."

Malon poked her head around the corner.

"Just a glass of water, Link?" she asked. "Nothing for your friend?"

Link hesitated for a moment. "No thanks. He's not thirsty."

Malon silently returned to the kitchen, leaving Link and Sheik free to look around the living room.

The room had picturesque appeal to it, many odds and ends used for decoration. It wasn't anything too fancy, but it gave a nice touch and complimented the simple life of the country. The way all of the quaint furniture and decorations were arranged almost looked like they were a lot more expensive than they actually were.

Link took a seat in an old-looking love seat. On the arm of the chair, the ginger fabric had been slightly torn, letting the cream coloured foam peek into the surrounding area.

While Link savoured the beautiful sensation of his drained muscles beginning to loosen and finally get the chance to relax, Sheik seemed less intent on doing the same. He wandered around the room, scanning over the peculiar miscellany of decorations throughout, perhaps hunting for something of significant or even historical importance. Naturally he found himself lured towards the bookcase on the opposite end of the room. Due to Sheik's natural curiosity in books and literature, Link wasn't surprised by his actions.

Sheik calmly stroked his enshrouded chin as he looked over the titles, his head never moving. Link, feeling somewhat odd after being so intrigued in Sheik's uninteresting behaviour, started to look away. His eyes were yanked back to him anyway after Sheik suddenly cocked his head, spotting something on the upper shelf. He lifted one of his narrow hands, reaching for a rather thick volume with a black spine in the middle of the row, slightly out of place compared to the others.

As Sheik pulled the book off the shelf, Malon briskly re-entered the room, glass of water in hand. She didn't seem to notice Sheik as she kindly handed Link his beverage. Watching the water sweep across the upper lip of the glass, Link gradually realized how thirsty he really was. He silently sipped it, noticing the difference between it and the water he was used to in the forest.

After a few moments, Malon realized what Sheik was holding in his hand.

"Oh…that caught your eye too?" she said, crossing her arms.

Sheik turned his head with a serious eye. "Where did you find this?"

"I wish I knew," said Malon, shrugging. "I found it sitting around the house. I'm not exactly sure where it really came from."

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "Around the house?"  
"I wouldn't lie. Would you know anything about it?"

"What is it?" Link inquired, taking a break from his refreshment. "Is it something bad?"

"Perhaps," said Sheik, taking a closer look at the cover. "Iden Lazarus Fraser…"

"Do you know him?" asked Malon.

Sheik shook his head. "The name doesn't ring any bells." He looked up at Malon. "Do you mind if I skim through it?"

Malon shook her head. "No, not at all. Go right ahead."

Sheik's inquisitiveness in the book could only make Link even more interested as well. To suddenly see this book standing out from the rest, and briefly question Malon on its orient could only mean that Sheik was suspicious of something. His shock when Malon said she just found it lying around the house was also a giveaway of his worries.

"Someone could've brought it in," Link suggested, causing Sheik to look up just before opening the book's cover.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Iden Lazarus Fraser sounds like a Hylian name, and Hylians are the only race I know that takes the time to write books and such."

Sheik looked off for a moment, considering. "For the most part, I suppose, so."

"Well, I think Malon knows that lots of people visit the ranch, or used to, anyway," said Link, turning to the young ranch girl. "They're usually Hylians, right?"

Malon nodded. "I don't recall any monsters staying the night here."

"So…maybe someone was reading it, and accidentally left it here?" Link proposed. "I mean, that's logical, am I wrong?"

Sheik slowly lifted the cover of the book off the pages, and leisurely began to flip through. His eyes revealed a series of changing emotions, usually altering between shock and confusion.

Curious, Link got up out of his seat and looked over Sheik's shoulder at the yellowing pages of the volume. The writing seemed to be penned in a faded red ink, with extremely well coordinated and consistent handwriting. There was a lot of information there, but it was the illustrations and dioramas that caught Link's eye. There were many illustrations of the appearances of ancient Sheikah warriors, evolving to the more modern version of the tribe just before their extinction. There were odd looking etchings of deformed skulls placed intricately on geometric shapes, severed hands and bloody knives. These drawings seemed to have an obsessive attention to grisly detail, and seemed to have a demonic sense to them.

"That's ghastly," Link commented. "What are these things?"

"Reference points for casting powerful magic spells," said Sheik. "They're extremely accurate. I really doubt a Hylian could've written this."

"Are you saying that it was written by a Sheikah?"

"No," replied Sheik hastily. "Although the information here is dead-on, there are a few things out of place that a Sheikah wouldn't overlook. If this was written by a Hylian, this man must've researched the tribe compulsively."

Link's lips curled. "Why would anyone…"

"I'm wondering that as well," said Sheik, closing the book. "I would like to know who this Iden Lazarus Fraser character is. He seems to know a little too much about the Sheikah to be deemed natural."

"Do you think it's dangerous?" asked Malon. "You can keep the book if you think it's something bad."

Sheik shook his head. "It's not the book itself; it's the thought that someone out there knows such things. I find it unsettling."

Link knew that the Sheikah were good, since they sacrificed themselves in battle to protect the Royal Family and prevent what happened anyway seven years ago. After seeing this book, however, Link saw a whole new side to them. Even though they used their powers and skill for good, the basis of their culture revolved around darkness and death, summoning the agony of those who had passed on to their own will. This was the darker side of magic as opposed to the kind practiced by a select few of Hylians, Zelda being one of them.

Sheik put the book down.

"It's probably nothing. Judging by the book's condition, I'd suspect that this Fraser won't be as young as he used to be. If he's a force to be reckoned with, we'd already be fully aware of his actions."

"Do you really think this guy poses as a threat?" asked Link. "What would he have to do with us?"

Sheik shook his head. "Most likely nothing. We shouldn't worry about it."

Malon perked up. "Oh…that reminds me…"

She quickly bounded out of the room and into the kitchen once more. Link was already enjoying his water; he wasn't sure why she went in there. With the time given, Link made his way back to the love seat and sat down, being careful not to spill his drink.

Sheik still stood over the book, resting on the coffee table in front of the sofa behind him. Although he had passed the book off as harmless, it was quite obvious that there was still something about it that disturbed him. He might've seen something in it that Link wasn't aware of, but he wasn't making it obvious as to what it was.

Malon hastily entered through the doorframe, holding something in her hand. She stiffly handed it over to him–a letter.

There was no address, no penned inscription of who the recipient was intended to be. It was simply a blank envelope, not a speck of dust on it. The parchment looked slightly gritty and discoloured, but still had a crisp edge, recently sealed.

Link looked up. "What's—"

"You know how you were wondering about Kanakana?" said Malon. She looked uneasily at the letter in Link's gloved hands. "Well…"

Link looked back at the letter. His grip loosened slightly. "This is…"

"He came by earlier," Malon explained. "While you were gone?"

"Was he looking for him?" asked Sheik, turning his attention away from the black book.

"Yeah, but he didn't ask right away," said Malon. "Wouldn't that mean it wasn't urgent?"

Sheik shook his head. "I wouldn't think so."

"And he just wanted to give me this letter?" asked Link.

Malon nodded. "I guess. I'm not exactly sure what he wants with you."

"I can make an assumption," said Link, sombrely looking back to the blank envelope. "It's probably not something good."

"Trusting the enemy would be a crucial mistake on our part," said Sheik. "We can't just all of a sudden read something given to us by a servant to Ganondorf. It could be a trap."

"The thing is," said Malon. "The last thing he said before he left is not to let Ganondorf know what he's doing, since he wouldn't approve, I think."

Link looked up. "What?"

"I don't know, either," Malon admitted. "He's a pretty calm person, but somehow he seemed nervous to me."

"How can you tell?" asked Link. "You can't see his face under that mask."

"His voice seemed shaky. Rough, but shaky," Malon explained. "It wasn't cold this afternoon, so it must've been his nerves."

"I wonder…" Sheik mumbled. "He could've been acting. I still suspect a trap here…"

"Hold on a minute," said Link. "Maybe he wasn't faking it? It could be something important. If it's a death threat, at least we'll know when he's going to come and beat me up."

"That's kind of an understatement," said Sheik.

"That was the intent."

"What's written on the letter is not what I'm concerned about," said Sheik sternly. "Kanakana is a mockery of what the Sheikah stand for. He uses techniques taught to him for evil."

"What are you getting at?" asked Link, leaning forward.

"One thing that the Sheikah studied during their existence was spells that didn't need incantations or physical actions to cast. They eventually discovered that by drawing out spell diagrams, such as the ones you saw in that book, in a special ink, they can put that spell on reserve until someone looks at it."

"How would they use it?"

"They most commonly used it for assassination purposes, reserved for only those of evil hearts, mostly radicals, who defied the Royal Family and threatened to kill innocent people. They would disguise these spells as letters, pretending to be a notice of surrender to the leader of the group. The second he looked at it, the spell would be cast, and he would be killed instantly."

"So you think this letter could be one of those?" asked Link, looking back at the envelope.

"I can't say," said Sheik. "I could try to detect it by contact, and if I sense something, it definitely is a trap."

"And if you don't?"

"Then it remains uncertain. Some spells are harder to detect than others. There would still be a 50/50 chance."

"Well…" Link mumbled, handing the letter over. "Give it a shot."

Sheik quietly took the letter in his right hand, and brought it close to his chest. He hovered his left over it, and slowly closed his eyes. His fingers twitched, his wrist vibrated, and his eyes winced. He was concentrating immensely, trying to penetrate through the paper envelope to read its contents.

Link wouldn't be surprised if Kanakana tried to eliminate him. Although the remainder of the Five Guardians would be hard-pressed to do this, their inner conflicts remained an issue to consider. The high powers, with the help of the remnants of the Black Wind, would undoubtedly possess more than enough strength to take Link out in a heartbeat. Why Ganondorf hadn't sent out these troops was somewhat of a mystery. Link figured that Ganondorf had a lot of faith in the guardians, and thought it would be unnecessary to dispatch such a powerful force for the sake of killing one person, especially the same force that guarded his stronghold. Perhaps that was why Kanakana was nervous about giving Malon the letter, since Ganondorf would not approve of him acting on his own, when it was the guardians' job to take care of him.

Sheik looked up from the letter, his concentration broken.

"Nothing," he said. "I can't confirm anything." He handed Link the letter back. "It's up to you, whether to open it or not. Keep in mind that anything is possible."

Link looked at the blank envelope nervously. It was frustrating to think that a mere piece of paper was preventing him from finding out the answer to this life or death trial.

The last time Link checked, however, Kanakana was extremely loyal to Ganondorf. His thoughts and actions greatly depended on Ganondorf's views. It was most likely because of Ganondorf's immense superiority, and nowadays, he had seized the Triforce. Kanakana seemed dependant on Ganondorf for his choices, especially before that fateful day seven years ago. When it came down to it, it would be preposterous for Kanakana to suddenly start acting on his own, ignoring strict orders. There would have to be a reason behind it, and with Ganondorf in possession of the power of the gods themselves, that reason did not exist.

"I'm going to open it," Link decided.

"Are you absolutely sure?" asked Sheik, eyes narrowing. "When you open that letter, if it is a spell, I will immediately detect it and will take it away. However, I cannot be certain if we can dispose of it before it the spell commences. Are you willing to risk this?"

"It has to be important," said Link. "If what Kanakana says is true, then it has to be important. I'm opening it. Ready?"

"Link…I…" Malon blurted.

Link tore open the top of the letter in one swift motion. There was nothing. No burst of flame, no sudden agony, no death. The three let go of their breath, and they could finally relax.

Link gingerly took the inserted paper out of its respectful envelope. It seemed a lot more faded than its covering, for some unknown reason. He discarded of the wretched paper that kept this letter's intent shrouded in mystery. He unfolded the paper, and found not graphic symbols and incantations, but simple words, running from left to right in the form of a common message. The ink was jet black, with quick, sketchy handwriting.

_Meet me tomorrow at first daylight on the Royal Plains of Hyrule Field. There are things of both our interests that need to be discussed. This is of my own accord, not Ganondorf's. Come alone; bring no one._

_Lord Kanakana_

_Supreme Commander, Elite Patrol_

"Well…that's not what I expected," said Link.

"What is it?" asked Malon.

"He wants me to meet him tomorrow at dawn, on the…" He looked at Sheik. "…Royal Plains?"

"The part of Hyrule Field closest to the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town," informed Sheik. "It is where the first battle of the Great War took place."

"Why would he want to meet me there?" asked Link.

"His own safety, I'm guessing," said Sheik. "It's close enough to Ganondorf's stronghold for a reasonable place of refuge, yet far enough so that the Evil King cannot hear his words."

"He said to come alone."

"That's understandable. Kanakana is smart enough to know that you might take this as an opportunity to eliminate him."

"But why does he want to meet you?" asked Malon. "Isn't he your enemy?"

"That's what's bugging me," Link replied. "All of a sudden he wants to have a confrontation with me, about something that is of both our interests. I don't understand what he could possibly interest him that would interest me at the same time, especially when he is a servant of my enemy."

"I don't see the harm in it," Sheik muttered lowly from the opposite side of the room.

"What?"

"Think about it," said Sheik. "If Kanakana's intention is to assassinate you and protect the remaining four guardians, then he would've simply killed you with that letter by making it a fake. So, if he took the time to write that, I would assume he has some information to give you, but only feels confident in releasing it when it is in person."

"I still don't like this," Link admitted. "I mean, it's Kanakana we're talking about here. He was the one who lead the Black Wind to destroy what little hope we had left. How could I trust him now?"

"He is not Ganondorf," Sheik advised. "His views could shift from that of evil and hatred."

"But I can't just assume that and walk right into a trap," Link snapped. "It doesn't matter if he didn't try to kill me now; it could all be one giant set-up, trying to gain my trust before hand and forcing me to turn my back from a knife in the dark. It's not like I don't see the possibility that it might not be any threat at all, but chances are that he's trying to get the best of me. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be made a fool of. I'm still not done liberating the world, remember?"

"He might be able to help you do that, though," said Malon, trying to defend Sheik to make the argument fair. "Who knows? Maybe Sheik is right. Kanakana probably knows a lot about their plans, you know? Maybe you can make him slip up or something?"

"Let's say he doesn't try to kill me," said Link. "Let's say that he gives me some information about the guardians or whatever the whole issue is, and I figure that he's not such a bad guy after all. For all I know, this could be a way for him to get through me and make me slip up instead of the other way around, and Ganondorf will learn about what I am trying to do, and he'll take me out with just a snap of his fingers."

"There are a lot of possibilities of what his intentions might be," said Sheik. "At the moment, though, there is not way we can be certain of what it actually is he wants with you. In the end, it is still your decision."

"I'll think about it," Link sighed.

There was knocking at the door. Link thought that he was going to have a miserable time thinking in silence over what to do, but the person at the door diverted his attention away from the subject. Malon flinched, Sheik calmly turned his head. The room replaced the quiet chatter with the even more quiet silence of hushed voices, soft breathing. The knocking ceased immediately, and everyone was subject to odd stares. Link and Sheik eventually gave their eyes to Malon, who interchanged hers left to right. She slowly got up out of her seat, turned around and crept towards the door in the next room. The hardwood floor moaned as she pressed her feet forward, as quietly as possible. She was now out of sight, leaving Link and Sheik behind in the living room, Sheik standing, Link sitting. They didn't say anything; only listened to the quiet and fading sounds of Malon's featherlike footsteps towards the unknown guest patiently waiting at the door. They stopped, and the floor slowly moaned gradually; she was leaning on the door, listening.

Link heard a voice. It wasn't Malon, and wasn't Sheik either. It was muffled, most likely from behind the door, and there was something about the accent of it that gave Link a sense of familiarity.

Malon, on the other hand, gasped, and began frantically unlocking the door. A final snap of the last security device, and the door swung open with a loud groan.

"Malon!" exclaimed the voice of a man.

"Daddy!" Malon cried, almost sounding in tears.

Link bolted out of his seat, but Sheik remained where he stood. Link stopped in the door's archway. Sure enough, there was Malon, after seven long and gruelling years, once again in her father's arms.

* * *

"_Dad, would you teach me how to whittle?"_

"_You're too young, Link," Darunia replied. "I'll let you use a knife when you're just a little bit older."_

"_But I want to know now!" Link complained. "You can't just expect me to watch you do it. I want to help!"_

_Darunia was busy carving wooden spears, making use of the rare wood other Gorons found dropped by a traveller._

"_And helping is what you do best," said Darunia, patting his son on the head. "I promise I'll teach you when you become big and strong."_

"_Just like you!" Link declared._

_Darunia chuckled. "Yeah, just like me."_

_The chief Goron's son, also his successor, looked up to his father more than anyone else, of any other race. The only person he might've idolized more that his father was Link, the legendary Dodongo buster and Hero of the Gorons. He rescued his people from King Dodongo before Darunia's son was even born, but he was completely fascinated by the story. It must've been natural; Darunia named his son after him. Ever since his father was able to tell him the origin of his name, he was really swollen with pride about it. He would proudly declare it when someone asked him, especially if his father was with him. He would always want to help the recovering tribe out; he wanted to live up to the name he was honoured to bear._

_Darunia always wanted to tell the real Link how he named his son after him. He was sure he'd be flattered, but ever since Ganondorf rose to power in the North, he hadn't seen or heard from him. A lot of people died that day, and it was only the day after Link saved the Gorons from near extinction. Darunia had hoped for years that Link was okay, but with each passing month that hope would diminish._

_Suddenly, one of the Goron commoners burst into Darunia's room. He seemed out of breath, and his eyes were wide enough to be deemed not a Goron at all. He sluggishly leaned his hand on the wall as he continued to draw in air._

"_Big Brother," he coughed. "Help…"_

_An unseen forced lifted the helpless Goron off his feet and shooting down the hall, making barely any noise at all. The only sound that could be heard in the motion was a small squeak, similar to one that would come from a small rodent, or a bat._

_Shocked by what he just saw, Darunia began to notice noise coming from the inner sanctum of Goron City. There was hollering, smashing, clanging and even explosions. There was something going on, and it was Darunia's responsibility as the Chief Goron to insure the safety of his tribe._

_He grabbed one of the wooden spears he was working on._

"_Link, stay here," he said as he began to make his way out. "Don't leave, got it?"_

"_But Dad!" Link cried._

"_No buts," said Darunia sternly. "I don't want you getting hurt."_

_Not waiting to hear his son's reply, Darunia sprinted down the short hallway leading to the main area of Goron City. The rising noise only made him more nervous, as if it were an evil boding warning, urging him to step back._

_Nothing would keep him from his people, not matter how menacing._

_He broke out into the main cave._

_Goron City was under attack. Hoards of demons and creatures poured in from the lower levels, spurting fragments of flame and wielding scorched weaponry. Packs of fiery Keese travelled in groups, carrying fallen or helpless Gorons up into the air. Swarms of Lizalfos charged around the mid-levels, and Stalfos occupied the top. These foot soldiers were tracking the escaping Gorons down in order for the aerial units to snatch them off the ground. Dozens of the tribe were being hauled upward and out of the higher exit, most of them kicking and flailing, desperately attempting to fling the pests off. One by one, the Gorons were taken through the tunnels that led to the exit, and out of sight._

_The horror._

_Darunia wanted to do something, but with the overwhelming numbers entering his home, and adding up by the second, there was barely any hope._

_Flare Dancers, creatures only rumoured to exist deep under Death Mountain's magma chamber, made their way into the scene, and stared smugly at the airborne Gorons helplessly taken away. Why had they come here? Why were they doing this?_

_One of the dancers spotted him, just another Goron with a pathetic wooden spear that would surely burn to ashes if he attempted to strike them._

"_All hail Lord Volvagia!" it exclaimed. "The one who rules over Death Mountain! All hail the Fire Guardian!"_

_Volvagia…that very name struck fear into the hearts of all Gorons who knew the story. The legend of the snake-like lava dragon was argued to be real or not, but for most the story seemed very believable. Volvagia existed millennia ago, and was best known for his unending hunger for Goron flesh. He hunted and devoured the Gorons as they first settled on the slopes of Death Mountain, not only because they were intruding on his territory, but also because of his blood lust. The nameless Goron hero, with the cumbersome hammer of legend, defeated Volvagia with one sound blow to the dragon's skull. Volvagia's bones were preserved, and after the construction of the Fire Temple, they were tossed into the sanctuary's deep lava pits._

"_All hail Volvagia, high servant of the Great Ganondorf!"_

_Ganondorf must've revived the ancient dragon and use its hatred for the Gorons as a tool for his own use. Darunia thought Ganondorf becoming king would only affect the Hylians, but this proved him wrong. His people were being captured alive by Volvagia's order ostensibly, and Darunia had a pretty good idea what the dragon wanted to do with them._

_If Ganondorf wanted to attack the Gorons again, they were going to fight back, just like they did before. Only now, they were on their own._

_Darunia gripped his spear tight, and stared at the Flare Dancers._

"_Take the leader!" one of them said. "Lord Volvagia wants him alive!"_

_A horde of Stalfos emerged from the darkness of the lower tunnels, some of which were newly mined connections to Dodongo's Cavern. Their blood-red eyes flashed in the dim light of Goron City as bright as the evening sun. Their weapons were drawn, and their bones rattled as much as their equipment. They surrounded the far wall and lined up, maybe in some kind of strategic fashion._

_As much confidence Darunia had in himself, he knew he couldn't take on that many. He wasn't going to take any risks either, especially with his son in the other room. He turned his head to look at the small passage to his room, and that's where he found his answer._

_In celebration of the victory in Dodongo's Cavern, the Gorons decorated the city with the newly recovered Bomb Flowers, which only grow in dark places such as the cavern itself. When taken from their stems, the irritated bulb would light up, and the fire would eventually reach the natural powder inside that acted as its pollen, with devastating results. _

_The Stalfos, however, didn't look like they were there to sit back and watch Darunia's performance while sipping a cup of tea. They seemed ready to pounce, standing with the inclination of a wild animal hiding in the bushes, ready to trap its prey._

_Stalfos were known for their love for battle. After banished under the ground for centuries, they always yearned for the fulfillment of time lost during those ages. They would not hesitate for a second to draw arms, even if it were against one of their own. Despite their appearance, they could be really quick if needed. The jagged edge of their swords could easily tear through Goron skin, which was harder than any other civilized race in Hyrule._

_Darunia had to make use of this precious time, or it was a sure-fire possibility that those blood-red blades would plunge through his skin as well._

_He had to distract them. If he were to simply turn around, take the bomb flower out from the wall and hurl it at the Stalfos, they would surely run up and stab him before he'd have a chance to orient himself. Perhaps if he threw his spear at them, it would divert them long enough for him to get a good shot._

_It looked like it was his only chance, so he decided to go with it._

_Darunia drew back his makeshift weapon, aimed, and threw it at the centre Stalfos. It cut through the air with a strong spin, and wedged itself between its lower ribs, sending it back a little. Most likely slightly confused, the other Stalfos looked over at their seemingly unharmed member of their ilk, seeing what had happened to him._

_Now was his chance. Darunia spun around and made a break for it towards the near wall, the bomb flower looking more appealing than ever. He grabbed it with both hands, and tugged hard to rip it from the vine that crept up the wall. Disturbed from its peaceful state, the small head of the flower that extended out of the hard bulb burst into flames. The stem began to spark like a fuse, slowly making its way down._

_Darunia turned around, and just before the Stalfos were about to reorganize themselves, he threw the second projectile at the same one who had a wooden spear through its chest. Somewhat startled by it, it reacted naturally and caught it in its hands, dropping its sword and shield, making them clang to the floor, causing the other Stalfos to look back at it. It held it in its gloved hands, staring at it as if it were a strange gift given to it by a strange person._

_It watched as the organic fuse made its way into the dark bulb of the plant, and disappear into the darkness. It went silent for a moment, and the second the Stalfos realized what was happening, he looked back up at Darunia._

_The average person, in most cases, has a hard time cursing at others in the midst of their bodies being incinerated. Perhaps there might've been a few who had the unlikely ability of doing so, but one would have a hard time seeking such a person, since all that remained of those select few were smoking ashes._

_The Stalfos, unfortunately, was not so gifted. He might've had the wish to scold at Darunia, but alas he ran out of precious time when the compacted powder inside the bomb flower ignited and sent a wave of fire and dust shocking through his body. Its bones were vaporized due to the intense heat, and its flabbergasted companions were blown to bits because of the shockwave._

_Darunia didn't get half the impact, but he was definitely rattled. The impact hit him sooner than the uplifted dirt, which passed over him like the high winds of the summit of Death Mountain._

_Although a sense of accomplishment came over him, for vanquishing the remaining enemies that threatened to capture him and take him to the white-hot jaws of Volvagia, he could not escape the feeling of dread that still lingered._

_Darunia knew that once the smoke and dust cleared, not only would he not see the enemies who had invaded his home, but the people he lived with and lead. The Gorons were gone, and Goron city would be deserted. They were currently being taken to Volvagia's lair, to meet their doom._

_Darunia decided, at that point, there was only one thing he could do.

* * *

_

**-Author's Notes-**

I enjoy chapters where I can just sit back and let my opinions roll through onto the keyboard, either through the narrative or dialogue. This one took a while, I knowI'm sure some of you had waining faith in me, yet here I come out of nowhere again and put up a somewhat lengthy chapter. It was Spring Break where I live, and I took the week off to observe the beautiful and inspiring scenery of Florida, USA, around the Tampa and Orlando areas. I managed to get a lot done on my new handy-dandy laptop while having a nice view of the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean. Maybe I should take vacations more often :)


	27. Allies and Enemies

27

_Allies and Enemies_

The covers weren't on; the late-night air seemed as humid as the day. His clothes were still on, boots, gloves and all. He still took his equipment off, nonetheless, otherwise it would've been impossible to get comfortable on the small bed.

Malon, with the recent arrival of Talon and Mr. Ingo, had to apologetically change Link's room from Ingo's to the guest bedroom. The beds here weren't as soft, but they provided enough comfort for one to have a good night's rest.

Sheik didn't seem to have a hard time dozing off. He actually preferred not to sleep with covers on all together. When Link asked why, Sheik refused to answer. The Sheikah now slept silently on the bed opposite Link, barely moving a muscle, hardly breathing.

Link had never seen Malon happier that she did today with the return of her father. It was almost magical how a smile could so easily appear on her face whenever, not just her father but anyone, even Ingo, spoke to her.

The way she phrased her words, the way she spoke, the things she thought about were all positive. She seemed pretty much optimistic about everything, and things that were impossible to shed light on she simply ignored and tried not to think about.

To think that only her father could make the whole world seem like a better place was astounding. Whenever he saw her so happy, he felt happy as well. Link shared his emotions with his friends, and Malon was a very close one, therefore not an exception.

Link wished he could truly feel the way Malon did. He wished he could look at things a different way, but the way he experienced things, through encounters and combat, it was hard to turn things around, see them from the other side. The people that he liked and the people that he didn't would remain that way, so he thought. He wanted to be open-minded, because that was one of the biggest qualities of a truly good person. He couldn't; he just couldn't. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't bring himself to trusting those he swore to defeat, and betray those he swore to protect. He envied Malon, those views on life which he could never see, because of what he was destined to do, what he had done to others and what others had done to him.

He wondered if anyone thought of him as a bad person because of this. He couldn't change who he was to please everyone, so it was pretty much up to them. He could try to influence their lives, but ultimately their opinion was their decision, no matter how much he tried to persuade them.

Link still lay there on the bed, eyes wide open, hands behind his head. The door on the other side of the room slowly creaked open slightly, revealing two eyes, just as awake as his, peering through behind it.

"Hey," Malon whispered, being careful not to wake Sheik. She opened the door a little more. "You still awake?"

"Can't sleep," Link whispered back.

It looked like she laughed; she was too quiet to tell. "Yeah, me neither."

"How come?" Link asked, shifting his head.

Malon shrugged. She paused for a moment. "You want to go for a walk?"

"Now?"

She nodded. "Why not? It's pretty nice outside. You coming?"

Link hesitated. "Okay."

"All right, then," said Malon, smiling. "I'll meet you outside."

She disappeared behind the door's shadowy curtain, getting the head start. Link heard her footsteps echo down the hallway, and eventually heard the front door open and close.

He hopped out of bed. He still had his boots on so he was careful not to land on the hardwood floor too fast; otherwise he feared he would wake Sheik. Navi lay asleep on the other side of the bed as well, so he kept her needs in mind also.

He crept towards the door, which thankfully Malon left open slightly to save him the trouble of being careful to quietly turn the knob. Checking behind him occasionally, he pressed lightly on the wood, letting it ease open gently, making a space wide enough for him to slip through.

Once in the hallway, he was able to walk a little faster, but was still respectful of the others in the household trying to get some shuteye.

The front door was now in clear sight, softly illuminated by the night's deep blue shade in the gloom. Still trying to be as stealthy as possible, Link twisted the knob and pushed the door open, revealing the crisp scenery of the ranch at night.

The time ochred grass now bathed in silver, given by the rising moon to smooth a layer of romantic ambience over the ground. The cold yet soothing orb that circled the sky failed, however, to add such an effect to the slanting wood of the barn, the peeling paint of the farmhouse, only shadows in the otherwise liquid-like vista. The moonlight painted delicate highlights on the posts that dotted the southern field, tiny spikes on a blackened horizon. Aside from the silvery wash of most objects, everything else was pitch black, if one were to ignore the pinprick stars.

Malon stood halfway between the house and the stable, looking idly at the moon. She, too, basked in the moon's metallic radiance, becoming almost like a statue in a sense. She looked over to him, as he was still standing at the door.

"Well that was fast," she said. "I thought I'd be waiting for at least half an hour for you to get out of bed and out the door."

"I guess I'm not so consistent," Link admitted.

Malon smiled. "It's almost like you're still a kid in there. You haven't changed that much."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"I wouldn't say so."

"So you wouldn't want me to change?"

Malon shook her head. "I didn't mean it like that. If you changed for the better, I don't think I'd have a problem with it."

Link calmly stepped out of the front door and quietly shut it behind him. "I'm not surprised I don't seem that much different. It hasn't at all seemed that long for me."

"How come?"

He walked onto the grass, and he too was bathed in the moonlight, now a surreal entity. "Someone once told me that the flow of time is never the same."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Malon, bearing a grin.

"It passes at different speeds and manners for different people. It's cruel, I think."

"I don't think time itself does that," said Malon, losing her smile. "It's the people that travel along with it."

"If nothing goes along with time, it doesn't exist at all, right?"

Malon laughed. "Now you're not making any sense."

"Sorry," Link apologized. "I don't get to talk much about these things."

"You can talk to me about it," Malon offered. "I like to talk about stuff like that. It's interesting."

"You think?" asked Link, catching up to her. Malon began to walk forward towards the darkened field, and Link strolled along beside her.

"Sure," she said. "It's always good to have some kind of outlook on life, you know?"

"Yeah," Link agreed. "I mean where would we be if we kept stuff to ourselves?"

"Some people do," Malon sighed. "Maybe it's for the best when it comes to them. There are a lot of things you can say these days that you can get punished for."

"Like what?"

"Things have gotten a lot tighter since that tragedy," said Malon. "Open protests against Ganondorf's will are immediately dealt with and smothered. You can barely open your mouth without those sleazeball rats leaning their ears in."

"Sleazeball rats?"

"People who still remain loyal to Ganondorf. They're usually the first to learn of when people are plotting against him, and run crying towards the authorities. Usually they do it for a rupee or two."

"That's selfish," said Link. "Who would put others in danger for their own needs?"

"You'd be surprised," Malon sighed. "Some people go great lengths in order to feed their families, regardless of others who are trying to do the right thing."

"Are they really that desperate?"

"It's easy to become like that in these times," said Malon gravely. "Many people lost everything when they fled Hyrule Castle Town. The only reason people like me still have something to live off of is because I didn't live in the city." She turned to him, but kept walking. "I'm not sure if things would be the same if you didn't come along. I'm still grateful, Link; I think I'll always be."

"For what?"

"The other day. If Mr. Ingo still had the deed to the ranch, I'm not sure how things would unfold. After he made a prize horse and presented it to Ganondorf, sure he'd get some money, but that would be it. With everyone in Kakariko Village thinking he cheated Daddy out of the ranch, there were less visitors. Now that Dad's back in charge, I think our regular rate of visitors will return to normal."

"You can't count on that, though," said Link. "With things the way they are now, I'm not sure if anyone would have the courage to leave the safety of their homes."

"What do you mean?" asked Malon.

"I think I have an idea of how they think," Link explained. "If you were driven out of your home, watching people die and were forced to flee, I doubt you'd think the outside world would be as safe as it used to be."

"Kind of like you and your old home," said Malon. "Never leaving, fearing the outside world because of death."

"Exactly," Link replied. "I know how that feels. Even though you naturally grow curious, you're still confined, and you have to respect it."

Malon shook her head, looking onward. "Things shouldn't be like that. People shouldn't be restricted to their own territory."

"You think?" asked Link. "When people establish themselves in certain areas of the world, they are separated from those that they dislike, so there's no fighting."

"That may be true," Malon sighed. "But why do people hate each other?"

"People fear those who are different," said Link. "It makes them feel better to put themselves higher over another, and if the other resists the discrimination, they fight them until they do."

"That's humanity for you," she chuckled. "The ultimate example of hypocrisy."

"I agree," said Link. "You think you know right from wrong, therefore you always know what's best; think no evil, do no evil."

The two quietly stepped onto the ranch's open field, now a lake in the night's sereneness. The sluggish winds passed by in gradual breaths, periodically replacing the warm air with strokes of crispness. It played the grass left and right in fast-moving ripples, barely visible to the eye. The large moon still hung rather close the horizon, a watchful overseer to maintain the order in which the happenings of the night took place. The far fence was drenched in black, almost adding an evilness that complimented the night's beauty.

"I remember when you first came here," said Malon. "You somehow snuck past the house and managed to find your way all the way out here without anyone noticing."

Link chuckled, having a brief memory of Kaepora Gaebora.

"Epona didn't like you very much," she mumbled.

"You remember how we ran into each other in Hyrule Castle Town?" Link asked.

"Painful memories," Malon joked. "Somehow, when I first looked at you, I…"

She paused. It was one of those pauses that she did whenever she had something difficult to say. Feeling uneasy, Link urged her to continue.

"Go on," he insisted.

"..knew that you were a Hylian…" she mumbled.

Link stopped walking. Malon went slightly ahead and stopped as well, but didn't bother to look at him. She continued to look onward at the blackened sky, her pink dress fluttering as the night winds whispered by. Her figure was outlined white by the moon, while the rest was encased in darkness.

"Who told you?" asked Link.

"Sheik did," Malon replied, barely moving. "We had a chat while you were downstairs talking to Pious."

"You know, I was the one who wanted to tell you. Eventually, anyway," Link mumbled. "So Sheik just brought that up out of the blue?"

"Yes and no," said Malon. "He kind of just mentioned it. He didn't directly state it or anything. Maybe it just slipped out."

"I see," said Link, nodding. "Well…what do you think?"

"I'm not surprised." She turned around, smiling. "You were a boy from the forest with a fairy that followed you around, but other than that I didn't see how you were different than me."

"Why didn't you mention it?"

"I was afraid I was wrong," she said as she lost her grin. "If I brought it up, I thought I was going to look like an idiot."

"You're not an idiot, Malon," Link assured her. "Seeing something in me that I couldn't see myself is something you should be proud of."

"When you came here the other day, I was certain," Malon admitted. "You, grown up. All my suspicions were confirmed, but I still had my doubts that you were aware that the stories say that the children never grow up. I still thought I might be wrong, that the stories might be wrong. Yet…I still saw that twinkle in your eye; that hint of Hylian ideals. The way you spoke; the way you looked at things, especially when it came to Ganondorf, really reminded me of how most of us think."

Link smiled. "We're two of a kind."

"It's weird when you think about it."

"I thought we were two different kinds of people but…"

"We're the same."

The air, as was life itself, was relatively still between the house and the barn. The stable fell silent, the animals as well settling into a restful sleep. The wood of the building was as silent as the trees it once composed, now the sound of their leaves taken away from them, leaving them to still stand erected by human hands, only a shadow of what they once were. They still served their duties to others; providing shelter for animals and other life forms.

Epona, unlike the others, still held her eyes open, still breathing in the open air she preferred over the cramped barn.

"What kind of horse is she?" Link asked.

"Who? Epona?"

"I'm just curious," he replied. "You seem to know a lot about horses."

"Epona is a light sorrel mare," said Malon proudly, frivolously flattered by Link's compliment. "You don't find one too often with a flaxen mane and tail."

"What colour are they usually, then?"

"Ginger or brown, depending," Malon answered. "The same colour as their bodies. Beautiful horses either way."

Link crossed his arms, staring intently at Epona, calmly loitering by the stable. "Are they hard to come by?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't had much experience when it comes to getting horses. Daddy was the one in charge of that back in the day. Epona was born here on the ranch after Dad got his hands on a few of the same breed. They're all gone now, unfortunately."

"Did you ever get to see them?"

"No."

Link frowned. He suddenly lost interest in Epona, looking over to Malon. Her eyes were convex mirrors, distorting the starlight that echoed off of them. Her coiffure bore moon-applied streaks of silver along with her natural trails of flame. She wasn't looking at the horse, either, but at the sky. She stared towards the north; towards Ganondorf's stronghold, veiled by the gentle hills of Hyrule Field and the atramentous haze of wickedness that enshrouded it.

"You're strong, Malon," said Link, trying to think of something to say.

When Malon broke her gaze from the sky, however, she bore a worried look. "Oh…I'm sorry. Did I really hurt you this afternoon?"

Link tried not to, but he ended up laughing. "No, not that," he chuckled. "I'm not sure what it is about you, but lately you've seemed really…" He paused, thinking of a word to describe it. "…optimistic."

Malon seemed puzzled. "About what?"

"Everything, it seems," Link replied.

"I try," said Malon, looking away. "But sometimes it's hard for me to look on the bright side of everything."

"What do you mean?"

"When Mr. Ingo came back, it looked like he turned into a normal, nice person again. You noticed that, didn't you?"

"Somewhat."  
"Well, he did openly apologize to all of the hardship he caused me, but…well…"

Link blinked. "Well, what?"

"I…I don't think I can forgive him," Malon said, shivering. "I want to; I don't think anyone deserves to be hated…but I just can't. I can't…"

Link had a hard time of thinking what to say. "Do you blame him for everything?"

Malon nodded. "I don't want to. I can't help it."

Link sighed. He was merely faced with the back of Malon's head now, as she didn't have the strength to look at him.

"Am I a bad person?" Malon asked. "Am I weak?"

"You're not a bad person, believe me," said Link. "I can understand your feelings. Everyone is weak in some way."

"Really?"

Link nodded, even though Malon couldn't see him. "Some things…never come back. Even if he apologizes…even if you want to forgive, you can't control those feelings. That's your weakness. Everyone has one."

"Not being forgiven…" Malon mumbled. "That may be a punishment."

"I wouldn't call it punishment," said Link. "For a person, being forgiven or not forgiven does not matter; the effort to try to atone for one's actions is what counts. If Mr. Ingo does his best to at least attempt to make it up to you, I'm pretty sure he'll be happy, as long as you appreciate what he does."

"Do you think that'll work?"

"Not everyone's the same, but his guilt for what he's done will make even the smallest gratitude worthwhile."

"But…I know he's a nice person…" Malon mumbled. "He always was, until Ganondorf took over. All of a sudden, he became cruel, unfair, and sometimes even scary."

"You shouldn't blame him for that," said Link. "Ganondorf has a way of manipulating people."

"You think?"

"Oh, yeah," Link said solemnly. "Somehow, he just…I don't know…"

"No, go on," Malon insisted.

Link shifted. "He knows how people think. And if somebody's mind is different from what he's used to, he's quick to catch on. It's something that...truthfully, I wish I had."

"Are you saying you want to use people?" She turned around, away from the starry heavens.

"Not at all. I just wish I understood people more. I wish that if could easily get to know someone, so that…well…they wouldn't turn on me."

Malon smiled. "I think that the best part of knowing someone is the process of getting to know them."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I like to think of it as a mini-adventure. You never really know what you're going to find in a person, and once you think you're all done, something will pop out of nowhere, sucking you right back in."

"There you go," said Link, smiling. "Optimism is a powerful thing."

"Oh…" gasped Malon. "Was I…just now?"

Link nodded.

"Is it really that hard to be like that?" asked Malon, cracking a smile. "I wasn't even thinking about it that time."

"You don't try to think positively," said Link. "It just comes out naturally. If you force yourself to be something you're not, you're only deceiving yourself."

Malon turned to the southern horizon, over the silhouetted fence that encircled the field. "Exactly…" she muttered under her breath. It was unclear whether she meant for Link to hear it or not. "What did you talk to Pious about?" she asked suddenly.

"Oh, Amentaris?" said Link, caught off guard. "Nothing, really."

"Come on," Malon laughed. "You have to have said something."

"Actually, now that I think about it…" Link mumbled. "He did mention something…yeah. He's concerned about you."

Malon's head didn't budge. "He is?"

"I'm not sure why," Link admitted. "He seemed…to be asking a lot of questions about you. Not nearly as much as he was asking about me, but still…I noticed it."

"What was he asking?" enquired Malon, almost immediately.

Link paused. "Nothing really out of the ordinary. Stuff like if I thought you were doing okay, how you were adjusting to your father, if you seemed happy."

Malon giggled. "You made it seem like it was something melodramatic."

"Did I?" Link stuttered. "I didn't intend it to come out that way."

"No, I believe you," Malon assured him, still looking at the moon. "I trust you; don't worry."

Link smiled. "Trust is a dangerous thing."

"I agree," said Malon, nodding. "I see nothing wrong with thinking likely of you, though. You're my friend, right?"

"Of course."

She paused. "Do you trust…him?"

"Who?"

"Your new friend. Sheik."

Link turned his head towards the farmhouse, lights out, sounds silenced. It pulsed along with the night air, waves of heat still curling off its roof. As black as the sky was, Link could still watch it distort with the air, and the stars that pricked it shiver and split apart, only to be melded back together again.

"You know what?" he said. "I'm actually not sure."

"You don't trust him?" Malon asked.

"I wouldn't say that," Link insisted. "I mean…he saved my life a few times, but as far as I know his intentions are beyond me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure," Link confessed. "My faith in people isn't as strong as it used to be, but I'm going to do my best to restore it."

"Good for you," said Malon sincerely. "That takes courage."

"I know…" Link mumbled. "But that means I have to take risks; I've decided to meet up with Kanakana tomorrow."

Malon was silent for a moment. The hush was almost chilling to a certain extent, making Link even more anxious to find out what she thought about his decision. He had been thinking on it all day, and had only really made a choice when he was about to go to bed. He knew that it was dangerous, but if he was ever going to have faith in people again, he was going to have to give them a chance to prove themselves. If what Kanakana said was true, and if indeed they shared similar goals, then it would be more than beneficial to Link's primary objective.

He did owe Kanakana one, somewhat. The man did spare him and Sheik during their encounter in the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town.

"I think you made the right choice," said Malon finally. "Well…I don't know for sure, but something tells me you won't regret your judgement."

"I certainly hope so," Link sighed. "There is still a part of me that doesn't want to go through with it, but if I approach him with any doubt left, there's no telling what will happen."

"Yeah," Malon agreed. "The best thing to do, Link, is really get some rest. You shouldn't be up for too long. I'm sorry to have kept you."

"That's okay," said Link, yawning. "You know what? I think that did the trick. I'm finally feeling sleepy."

She turned around, smiling. "Then off to bed with you. He wants to meet you at dawn; I'll make sure you're up before then."

"Thanks," Link replied. "It was nice talking to you. Maybe we could do it again sometime?"

"I'd love to," Malon replied. "You just tell me, whenever. Now, go. I don't want you being a zombie in the morning, got it?"

"All right, I got it."

"I'll see you in the morning, then."

"Okay."

"Link…"

"…Malon?"

"_Go._"

* * *

"_You never let me come along!" Link screamed. "It's not fair! I always have to stay behind!"_

"_You're not coming, and that's final," said Darunia strictly, pulling open drawers, ripping open bags, and gathering as much as he could. "I'm not putting another life at risk. If there's anyone who is going to make it out of this alive, it'll be you."_

"_But I want to watch!" Link whined. "I won't get in the way! I promise!"_

"_This isn't a fairy tale," Darunia snapped, strapping his spear to his hip. "This is real. If you can't understand that, then you really can't come along."_

"_It is a fairy tale!" said Link. "Volvagia was in all of those stories. Those were fairy tales, right?"_

"_No, they weren't," Darunia replied. "They were legends, based on facts. That should tell you something; going up against Volvagia would be too dangerous."_

"_But you're going!" Link protested. "Aren't you worried?"_

_Darunia grumbled, grabbing some leftover bandages for possible wounds in the coming struggle. He tied them around his wrists for easy access._

"_Of course I'm worried," he growled. "Who wouldn't be? That's exactly why I want you to stay here." He looked at his son as he continued wrapping the bandages on his arms. "The last thing I need is to see you get hurt. Why do you want to come so badly, anyway?"_

"_I want to save everyone," Link answered. "I want to help everyone who got captured."_

_Darunia tied the final knot on the bandages, and kneeled down in front of Link, putting a massive hand on his shoulder. "That's really brave of you," he admitted. "It kind of reminds me of the person who shared your name."_

_Link lit up at the statement, but said nothing._

"_And to tell you the truth," Darunia continued. "I need all the help I can get. But if all you want to do is stand there and watch, is that really helping Daddy?"_

_Link sighed and slouched over. "No…"_

"_I'm glad you're concerned about everyone," said Darunia with a smile. "But this is a problem that I need to take care of on my own. It's a big Goron problem, do you understand? This is something much more than we've ever faced, and we're going to get through it by working together; got it?"_

_Link nodded. "But I want to help."_

_Darunia thought for a moment. He had to give Link at least something to do, or else he would feel unwanted. "Say, did anyone else besides us manage to get away from the bad guys?" he asked._

_Link looked up. "The merchant did."_

"_Why don't you keep him company?" Darunia suggested. "I'm sure he's as worried as you are."_

"_But he's a mean old Goron!" Link complained. "The only reason he got away was because he locked himself in his shop!"_

_Darunia grunted, but didn't lose his smile. "Typical. I'm sure he'll appreciate it anyway."_

_He stood up, and proceeded across the room, grabbing a small dagger off the stone table in the middle of the room._

"_You're leaving now?" Link called out from behind._

_Darunia looked over his shoulder. "Yeah."_

"_When are you going to get back?"_

_The Goron chief looked back towards the secret passage. "Soon; don't worry about it. Be safe, okay?"_

_Darunia didn't wait for his son to respond. He simply began to make his way down the secret passage adjacent to his room, and could already feel hot air of Death Mountain's crater beating on his face. It was but a cool breeze compared to the heat he was going to feel when he faced that ancient and smouldering evil just lurking around the corner.

* * *

_

"Link? Wake up!" Malon shouted. "You have to get up; there isn't much time!"

The Hero of Time lazily pried his eyes open, maybe even relieved when he wasn't assaulted by white sunlight leaking through the small windows. Instead, there was only darkness. The sun had yet to scale the horizon, giving Link time to get ready for the confrontation. Respectively it did feel awkward, however, since this was the first time he woke up when it was still dark outside.

The first time, excluding the violent disturbances of sleep that the nightmares caused.

Sheik was still on the bed opposite him, except now he was wide awake, leaning against the wall, his wild eyes silently staring at him between the silk strands of hair. It was almost threatening, as if he was trying to scare Link out of bed.

"Come on!" Malon encouraged him. "I didn't get you up this early for nothing!"

She angrily stomped away, carrying the lantern with her, the night settling back into the room after fearing the light.

"Patience goes a long way," Sheik mumbled.

Link threw off the covers, still feeling a little light headed. In the darkness he fumbled around for his hat, where Navi still slept. He found a piece of fabric on the ground. He picked it up; his tunic. He put it on anyway, despite the fact that he could barely see what he was doing. Squinting as he blindly ran his hands along the floor, he found another article. He quickly pulled it off the wood, sending a startled Navi flipping around the air, only to land back down before she had a chance to get her wings going.

"What is it?" she groaned.

"We're leaving. Now," said Link sternly. "We have to hurry; the sun will be up soon."

Navi took off into the air. "Oh…so you're…"

"Yeah," Link said quickly, finding his leather gauntlets with the help of Navi's glow. "We're going to see Kanakana."

"Are you, now?" asked Sheik. "When was this decision made?"

"Last night," Link answered. "You were asleep."

"He wants you to come alone, may I remind you," said Sheik forebodingly.

"Navi is coming with me, whether he likes it or not," Link answered. "We haven't agreed to split up even for a moment ever since we met."

"She's your…official companion?"

"I guess you can say that," Link mumbled, swinging the Master Sword and his Hylian shield around his back, and beginning to strap them into place.

"Well, don't I feel special?" said Navi dryly as she flew towards the door, hovering close to the knob. "Well, I'm ready. I'm just waiting on you, now."

"That doesn't surprise me," said Link as he picked up his belt and fed it through his tunic, carrying his hookshot, quiver, and bow to add considerable weight. "You don't wear clothes."

"That's not my problem," said Navi. "I'm comfortable with my body, unlike you Hylians."

"Don't put me in an awkward position," Link groaned.

"Well, have you ever considered running into the heat of battle with no clothes on?" Sheik joked. "It would make an interesting story."

"Very funny," Link growled, stepping into his boots, and tightening the straps at the top to secure them in place. "Let's go."

Link proceeded hurriedly towards the door, much to the delight of an impatient Navi. Sheik, however, found the ability to stop him in his tracks with mere words.

"I will be watching you," he warned.

Link turned towards him, ignoring Navi's obvious groan. "What?"

"I'll keep track of your meeting with Kanakana," Sheik explained. "I will not be too far behind you."

"He'll see you."

"He won't."

Link looked off nervously. "I don't know about this. It seems too risky."

"What do you mean?" asked Sheik, looking up.

"If this goes wrong, I'm dead. That's it."

"True," Sheik agreed. "I'll take extra caution. After all, I managed to hide from him before. How else do you think I was able to sneak up on him in Hyrule Castle Town?"

"We're in Hyrule Field," Link protested. "You don't have any ruins to hide behind this time."

"By simply leaning up against the nearest hill I can find, I'll be perfectly concealed," Sheik explained.

"Is your hearing really that good?"

"Better tuned than yours, I'm sure."

Link smiled. "Sheikah genetics?"

"I suppose," he mumbled. "Although there is some training we received, not originally prescribed by our ancestors."

"Really?" said Link. "So it came into play later on?"

"The Royal Family required it," Sheik chuckled. "We were, after all, spies. If we couldn't overhear enemy conversations, what good were we? The king back in those days was somewhat…dare I say, paranoid of secret plots."

"I never knew that," Link praised. "It looks like you know a lot about the Royal Family. You must've had powerful connections, being a Sheikah and all."

Sheik was still looking at the far wall; not at the Hero of Time. "You have no idea…"

There was a pause. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Sheik shook his head. "Nothing. It's nothing. You best get going; I've kept you for too long."

"I'd have to agree," Navi butted in, still waiting impatiently by the door. "While you two are sitting around and chatting it up, we've got an old grouch with a bad temper playing the waiting game in the north."

Link opened the door. "You'd best not say that to his face."

Still puzzled by Sheik's last statement, Link forgot to say "goodbye", or even "good luck" to the quiet Sheikah. He made his way down the dark hallway, and although the night's thin fabric still covered the sky, Link was already noticing it beginning to pale; not good.

Almost encouraged to make his way down even faster, he had to keep calm. If he was still in this state of mind when he confronted Kanakana, it would only make the situation worse for him.

He didn't want Sheik to save him this time.

Malon waited near the front door, still carrying a lit candle. The room was more prominently overtaken by Navi's glow once she entered the room, almost making the tiny flame useless. Malon was still in her nightgown, and appeared to be shivering somewhat in the cold. She was barefoot as well, and the floor didn't look like the warmest of things.

"All set?" she asked.

"Yeah," Link replied, looking around tensely. "Physically, anyway."

"You'll do fine," she assured him.

"I hope so," he agreed, still shifting. "But I still can't help but feel nervous."

"I know what you mean," said Malon. "I kind of feel like I brought this on you, being the one who told you and all."

"Forget it," he said, looking at the floor. "You were just caught in the mess…he wanted me in the first place, right? I just happened to be away at the time."

"That's true," she mumbled.

"And even if you didn't tell me, there'd be no telling how he'd react to it," Link went on. "He's unpredictable, and that being said, I still don't trust him."

"And yet you're still decided?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Then, good luck," she said with a warm smile. "I'll be cheering you on from here."

"I might be gone for a while," Link warned. "Is that all right?"

"As long as you're back here before nightfall, it's fine with me."

"…and if I'm not?"

"I'll kill you."

Link flinched. "You'll what?"

"You heard me," Malon said sternly, her face unmoving.

"You can't be serious."

She shrugged. "Believe what you want. But the face you're looking at right now; that's my serious face."

It was hard to describe Link's facial expression. "Right…"

"Now, off with you," Malon encouraged. "I don't know about you, but I'm not particularly interested in having an awkward stare-off when you should be hurrying."

"It's kind of hard not to after that comment…"

Malon, still bearing the same quirky grin, gradually lifted her forearm and, pointing it towards the ground, twirled her finger in a circle, telling Link to turn around. Rolling his eyes, Link turned and took a firm grip of the door knob. He twisted his wrist, and the passage eased open, the crisp night air leaking through the space. Almost in one smooth motion he began to lean out, not really wanting to leave.

"Link," said Malon, causing Link to turn his head. "I know you'll do the right thing."

He had a hard time thinking of something to say. This was exactly the kind of support he needed, but at the same time he didn't know how to respond. He looked at her, her eyes twinkling in the dim candlelight that now overtook the room as Navi fluttered out the door. The lonely stare was almost one of expectancy, as if waiting for a decent response. Almost cringing as he did so, Link silently made his way out the door and shut it behind him.

He could feel his back turn red as he grabbed his head and applied painful pressure. "Argh…so much for doing the right thing," he growled.

Navi laughed. "Stubborn as ever."

Still tugging on his hair, Link brushed swiftly towards Epona, securely strapped on the barn. The pale sky began to brighten even more, producing a considerable amount of discouragement. The night was usually a sign of a coming darkness, but in this situation it was the exact opposite.

Delighted to see him, Epona neighed cheerfully, maybe even knowing that she was going to be able to run around again. Link compassionately stroked her nose, and proceeded around her in order to reach the rope that secured her to the building. He began to tug at the tightly tied knot, beginning to see the straps unravel. Aided by Navi's light, the task was easier than he originally thought it out to be.

"Off again, are we?" called a voice near the farmhouse. Link peered over Epona's saddle to spot a man leaning up against the outside wall of the home, just to the left of a lit window. The light flickered off of his face, yet it left his eyes in the shadows.

"Amentaris?" Link called back. "What are you doing out here?"

"It's been a while since I saw the stars," he replied, looking up. "Or even the sky for that matter."

"I thought you weren't allowed out of the basement," said Link, turning back to his task.

"I wasn't," Amentaris assured him. "Had it not been for you, I would still be down there."

"Huh?"

"Oh, it should be obvious to you by now," he said as he looked back down, sounding almost disappointed. "Mr. Ingo would not take too kindly to Malon harbouring an outcast."

Link laughed. "I guess Talon doesn't see anything wrong with it?"

"Back when I was General, I happened to chat with the man a few times." He started to laugh. "The king liked his milk. It wasn't a rare sight to see Mr. Lon-Lon wandering the halls after a usually weekly delivery."

"I always thought Talon was lazy," Link said as he finished a good portion of the knot. "I suppose he had a lot on his plate back in the day."

"I can't deny that the man slept a good deal," Amentaris admitted. "Yet it was quite the job to keep the king happy, especially when you live miles away."

"I'll bet."

"I understand you're planning to meet with Lord Kanakana?" Amentaris asked in a more serious tone.

"Yeah," Link replied, finishing untying the knot. "We're off to see Kanakana."

"A bold move," Amentaris complimented. "Do you think it's safe?"

"Of course not," said Link as he put his foot in the harness and begin to lift himself up. "But something tells me I'm going to get something out of it. Sheik said he'll back me up if something goes wrong."

"Value your allies," the former general advised. "When I confronted him, I was on my own. You'd be surprised how much that affects your will."

"I'll make sure of that," Link said, nodding, settling into the Epona's saddle.

"At the same time, I owe him my life," Amentaris mumbled. "He could've easily killed me, but he let me go, somehow."

"Really?"

"I'll give you some advise, lad," he said, smiling. "Never underestimate the Gerudo, and most of all, never be so prejudicial to consider them your enemy."

"What? The Gerudo?"

"Metaphorically speaking," said Amentaris. "I've killed many of them during my service, and you are told again and again that they are savages, enemies to you and all that you stand for."

Link nodded, letting Amentaris continue.

"When you kill another human being, everything changes, and may Nayru's love shine down on you when you look into their fading eyes. When you watch the last bit of life die away, you suddenly realise that they are just like you, in every way. That willingness to live is what makes us all human, and our goals are always intended for the better of mankind. We all strive for a better world, a better humanity, and when we set our sights on a goal we strive so hard to achieve it, that any interference with that prize is what we know as evil."

Link was silent for a moment. "I never thought of it that way."

"Think about that when you confront him," said Amentaris. "It should help you."

"What do the Gerudo have to do with Kanakana?" asked Link. "He's a Hylian, trained as a Sheikah."

"Think about it," chuckled a smiling Amentaris. "You consider him your enemy, yet in many ways he is separated from Ganondorf. Although they are the same race as the Evil King, the Gerudo are without their leader, despite their remaining loyalty to him, and as things are going right now I doubt Ganondorf will have much interest in them anymore."

"So, you're saying I should seek out what humanity Kanakana has?" Link suggested.

"Somewhat," said Amentaris. "I highly suggest you figure out where his loyalty lies, and who he intends to aid in these desperate times." His eyes narrowed. "And more importantly, find out who _you_ are aiding."

Not waiting for Link to respond, Amentaris turned and silently walked towards the grazing fields. His long yet thin hair trailed behind him, along with the wool robe that did not give any hints to his colourful past. Link didn't bother to watch him head off towards the setting moon, but instead gazed at Epona's white mane, watching it sway in the rising morning breeze, and pondering Amentaris' last words.

He hit Epona lightly with his heels, and she began to make her way towards Hyrule Field.

* * *

"_We will move to the lower slopes later on, and even so we should be careful not to push our boundaries," Volvagia growled. "Our master insists that each guardian is restricted to its own assigned area, and nothing else."_

"_All is understood, my lord," said the Stalfos, bowing his head. "Is Kakariko Village of any concern? They will surely notice our air patrols by the end of the day."_

"_It is but dawn," Volvagia hissed. "Sunrise is not for at least half an hour, and since the hamlet is to the east my mountain, it will be perfectly alit."_

"_So would that make our presence known to the Hylians?"_

_Volvagia sneered. "By the time they find out, it will be too late. Our operation will continue as planned, and once it commences they will know full-well of it, if they haven't realized it by then."_

"_I see."_

"_The air patrols are too keep clear of Death Mountain Crater," Volvagia instructed. "They only get one warning. Otherwise they face the dire consequences."_

"_Is it to begin now?"_

"_Yes."_

_The Stalfos hesitated. "Very well. I'll inform the others." He bowed his head quickly. "My lord."_

_Weapons in hand, the Stalfos pivoted and ran through the ember-flaking passageway, and into the waving darkness beyond. Volvagia would give him a minute, since the bones of a Stalfos were too frail to withstand such violent temperatures._

_He had been pondering lately the words of Morpha, even though he rarely kept obsessive focus on petty advice. It did frequently cross his mind, however, that the Guardian of Water must have had considerably deeper connections with the Great Ganondorf, being his servant for far longer than Volvagia had._

_But this was the exact problem the dragon was faced with. He had been a guardian for nearly two days, and already he was widely distrusted amongst the others. Morpha had made it clear that it did not approve of the dragon's actions, and his spies had already told him that Bongo-Bongo, the Guardian of Shadow and controller of the area most proximate to Volvagia, recently stated that he too was suspicious of the Fire Guardian._

_Many had attempted to assure him that it was because of the Forest Guardian's betrayal that the others were so edgy, but Volvagia thought otherwise. He believed that it was because he had yet to prove himself that the others didn't trust him. The sooner he did something drastic, the better._

_Upon Volvagia's revival, Ganondorf had told him about the Hero of Time. He was instructed to guard the barrier from the young man at all costs. It appeared that the hero had managed to make his way towards the Forest Barrier first, and managed to shatter it following the defeat of the Forest Guardian._

_If Volvagia could get the Hero of Time to come to him next, and then defeat him, there would be no doubt that the others would have much respect for him as the Guardian of Fire. The dragon was once the scourge of the north, bringing fire and destruction wherever he saw fit, and with one swing of that wretched hammer he was decimated. It wasn't going to happen this time; not ever again. He would restore his former status, and no one would oppose him after the Hero of Time was taken care of. He had the hammer, and he had safely secured it within the depths of the temple, with his finest underlings to keep close watch over it. Seas of fire and geysers of lava haunted every passageway, with hundreds of soldiers patrolling the areas that weren't as perilous. _

_By luring the hero to the Fire Temple just as the Forest Guardian had, it would spell doom for the Hero of Time; the feeble human body could not withstand the insurmountable temperature within the temple's walls. Not even the strongest of Hylians could survive in the throbbing air of the sanctuary, and even Gorons would break a sweat if they were to venture inside for long._

_A wicked sneer appeared on Volvagia's face, revealing his jagged teeth. Soon, not only the Hero of Time will feel his might, but the entire world._

_His claws tightened and his eyes blazed, his blistering aura burning bright. His neck muscles flared and his teeth clenched. Black, knifelike nails dug into his palms. White flame leaped out of his mouth, bringing light to glowing darkness. He lowered his head, his fiery hair drooping in front of ferocious eyes. Small tremors reverberated in the ground in quick pulses, disturbing the steady flow of lava. He could feel the volcanic rock jump, the towering walls begin to ignite in silent murmurs. A brief exhale of his held breath, letting abnormally hot fire escape, increased the shaking. It changed from a small pulse to a constant vibration, letting itself be known. It began to groan, stressing over the growing disturbance. He only tensed more as he spiked his concentration. The shaking grew aggressive, now to the point where one wouldn't be able to stand up on their own. Squinting, his slit-like eyes barely open at all, Volvagia growled as he continued to increase the quake's magnitude. Everything became violent. Rocks were hurled out of the ceiling, only to come crashing down into the churning magma below, while the volcanic walls began to heat up and tumble down._

_Even Volvagia himself could feel the heat rising. It throbbed; it gripped every object with suppressing force as the pressure swelled. The molten rock stirred and bubbled excitedly, its time once again near._

_The Guardian of Fire looked up, unable to restrain his laughter. Columns of magma shot up into the air as if in some kind of celebration, the shaking indescribable._

"_Watch me, Hero of Time!" he bellowed. "Witness the power of Death Mountain! Lend me your eyes and stand in awe at our strength!"

* * *

_

It was cold.

It seemed that no natural force had any effect on Epona's will to run wildly fast. Link expected to see a clear, pinking sky, yet it seemed now that it was going to be rather cloudy today, and with the damp air, rain wasn't a far-fetched possibility as well. This wasn't really the ideal atmosphere, but he was going to have to deal with it; he couldn't control the weather.

He carefully steered his horse clear of a small, old, wooden fence, shattered in numerous places. It might've been the mark of an old establishment, long gone, most likely long before Ganondorf rose to power.

Hyrule Field seemed to start to ease downhill; he was getting close. From what he could remember, the Royal Plains – the ones closest to the ruins of Hyrule Castle Town – were in a lower part of the country. The trouble was although Kanakana had made it clear that he wanted to meet him in the area, he wasn't any more specific than that. The plains, although a smaller section of the field, were still quite vast, stretching the entire northern quadrant of Hyrule Field, although according to some maps he looked over while speaking to Amentaris in Malon's basement, it wasn't nearly as far-reaching as the other areas. He could only hope that he would at least get in the general area and, with any luck, spot the enemy general.

It wasn't too long until he arrived, just over the crest of a large slope, he had a rather good overhead view of what used to be Hyrule Castle Town. Most of it, however, was obscured by a hellish brown, seemingly unnatural haze. He could still see some of the wicked guard towers poking themselves above the veil. If the enemy were to have a good eye, Link would be in plain sight by now. It would be best to get out of their sight; he didn't want to cause any trouble over there just yet.

He calmly made his way down the slope, slightly off to the right to avoid running straight towards the walls, otherwise it might look like he was trying to break in. He was careful to look at the ground, since there were a lot of things that would easily be concealed in such tall grasses.

Suddenly, Epona seemed to slow down. Something was wrong. Link looked ahead to see what it was, and almost added on to the decrease in speed by subconsciously pulling back on the reins.

Kanakana stood silently just a good distance to the east of Ganondorf's stronghold. He stood rather close to the field's boundaries, rather close to Death Mountain. The volcano was still as overshadowing as ever, with its peaceful cloudy halo encircling its sleeping peak.

It looked like Kanakana had kept his promise after all, so far. As Link slowly approached him, he began to notice that he wasn't alone. On either side of the darkly clad man, an Iron Knuckle stood, their axes gripped firmly in their steel clutches. This wasn't right; Kanakana told Link to come alone, and yet here he was, with two massive fiends as his right and left hands, weapons drawn. They almost forced him to turn around, yet he continued to press dangerously close. He was now in arrow's range, and he was vulnerable, yet the three kept perfectly still. Kanakana's arms were crossed, showing no signs of obvious hostility. The Iron Knuckles, although they held their massive axes proudly in the open, gripped them across their waists, more of a guarding stance than offensive one.

Kanakana turned his head in Link's direction. Link didn't know why he did such a thing, since he didn't see with his eyes. The Iron Knuckles, however, who presumably used the traditional method of sight, still didn't budge.

Link brought Epona to a stop, yet still kept a safe distance. Not a word was spoken, only to leave him stare into steel mask that hid his enemy's face. Not taking his eyes off of them, Link cautiously dismounted, eye-to-eye with Kanakana and the Iron Knuckles that guarded him. He gave Epona a quick slap in the thigh, encouraging her to take off and leave them alone. He could call her back anytime; as long as he had his ocarina.

The dreary silence continued on for a few moments before Kanakana looked off to the east, the first glint of the sun bouncing off of his mask.

"Right on schedule," he mumbled.

"Who are they?" Link demanded, referring to the Iron Knuckles. Now that Kanakana had spoken the first word, he could safely speak as well.

Kanakana turned back to him. "My protection," he stated calmly.

"So…" Link muttered, straightening his posture. "You don't trust me?"

"As much as you don't trust me," said Kanakana icily. "Iron Knuckles, by their nature, do not listen to spoken words unless they are directly spoken to by their superior, namely, me."

"Then I suppose you wouldn't mind my friend, here?" asked Link, lifting up the tip of his cap to release his guardian fairy. Navi got her bearings, and once she caught sight of the ominous Kanakana, she hastily made her way to Link's shoulder.

Kanakana's hands clenched. "I told you to bring no one!"

"Giving respect to your companions," said Link sternly. "I believe Navi should be an exception as well. What goes between us stays between us. We share the same mind, if you will."

Kanakana drew in breath, but said nothing. He continued to stare angrily at Link, his left arm shaking.

"Very well," he blurted. "You seem to be telling the truth. Now, shall we get onto business?"

"You told me to come here," said Link. "You have yet to explain yourself."

"First things first," said Kanakana, interrupting. "Disarm."

"Excuse me?"

"Remove your weapon. Plant it firmly in the ground, where I can see it."

Before Link could respond, Kanakana drew his bladed tonfas, and with a quick flick of his forearms, released them, sending them flying like bullets into the ground, half-burying their deadly edges beneath the soil.

Realising that with Kanakana disarming, this wasn't a trap, Link slowly reached back and drew the sword of evil's bane from its scabbard, and gradually inserted its shining blade into the ground, letting it stand on its own. He kept it close to his side, just in case one of them tried to snatch it away from him.

One the task was finished, Kanakana nodded towards the Iron Knuckles, who in turn flipped and slammed their massive axes into the ground as well, sending moist dirt into the air. Now without their weapons, they simply crossed their arms, maintaining a guarding stance.

"You said this was a matter of mutual interest," said Navi. "So, do you mean to say that this is something that we should be concerned about?"

"That is correct."

"Looks like it's something big," said Link. "It's been bugging me for a long time what it might be. I think it's about time you tell us."

"Very well," Kanakana grumbled. "Link, is it?"

Link nodded.

"Being one of the Great Ganondorf's highest ranking servants, I am one of the very privileged to be able to see him in person," Kanakana began. "That being said, I tend to hear many things."

"Such as?" Link asked.

"They are usually minor proclamations. What to do with this, how to deal with that, ad infinitum."

"Then I guess he said something a little unusual?" Navi suggested.

"You catch on quick," Kanakana replied. "It was actually the same day when I encountered you in the ruins. I addressed my master of your return."

"You knew who I was?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not a fool," Kanakana snapped. "You wield the legendary Master Sword. Only the famed Hero of Time is capable of holding such a weapon. I had studied the prophecies when I was but a young man."

"I thought you were blind?" Navi asked.

"I had a teacher. When I saw you with that sword, I could not help but be bewildered by your sudden appearance, but it could only explain why there was such an energy surge prior to your appearance. By fighting you, I literally tested your abilities as a warrior, and when you fell so quickly, I was quite disappointed. I briefly thought that the sword you had in your hand must've been some kind of duplicate, until that Sheikah interfered."

"What did Sheik have to do with it?" Link asked.

"I realized the young man had quite the experience in battle," Kanakana explained. "Only those with the most sophisticated of training could reach that level, therefore I knew that this one was of some importance to the extinct tribe. That's why I asked if he had any relation to you. When he hesitated, I knew that he didn't know of you before hand. Since such a high level of Sheikah protected you, I knew that you were, indeed, the Hero of Time. I was not permitted to kill you; that's why I let you go."

"But what does this have to do with why I'm here?" Link asked.

"I was getting to that," Kanakana shouted. "I informed my master of you returned. He was quite pleased; he had been waiting for you ever since that day, seven years ago. But then…he…"

He looked off slightly.

"He what?" asked Link.

"He began talking about things…that I…couldn't begin to comprehend," Kanakana admitted.

"What things?" Navi inquired. "What did he say?"

Kanakana shook his head, taking a deep breath. "He began to talk about…the wars of good and evil, how they never stop. He thought that it was a despicable system."

"War is never something to praise," said Link. "Yet there will always be conflict of some sort. As much as I don't like to admit it, there is some truth in what he says."

"I agree," said Navi. "Was that the only reason why we're here?"

"I'm not even scratching the surface," Kanakana mumbled. "He began to ramble on about ending that conflict."

"How does he expect to do that?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't quite know," the general replied. "One thing that stood out was him acquiring what he called the 'true force.'"

"True force?" Link repeated. "You mean the Triforce?"

"No, I believe my master has already obtained the sacred relic. This is something, from my understanding, he has yet to get his hands on."

"What could possibly be more powerful than the gods?" Link asked. "There is no such thing!"

"I believe this as well," Kanakana agreed. "Ganondorf, however, has strong faith in this 'true force'. Whatever it is, it is something of devastating power."

"What do you think it is?" Navi asked. "Are you saying we look for it? Is that what this is all about?"

"Not exactly," said Kanakana. "What's more important is what he plans to do with it. He claimed that with this power, he would put an end to the ongoing struggle."

One of the Iron Knuckles shifted its position, its polished metal plates scraping against each other.

"He said, although whenever one side wins a battle, the other will always come back with a vengeance. He said that when he obtains the 'true force,' the power it will give him would make him an unstoppable being. He wants to get rid of this world, as he sees is as contaminated, disgusting. He wants to destroy it, and create a new, ideal one, at the expense of Hyrule and its inhabitants. By his tone of voice, he seemed quite serious about this."

Link said nothing. He felt hollow as he listened to the grass rustling in the cold winds. Numb, he turned his head and faced his guardian fairy, who was already shaking her head.

"That's impossible," she said. "No one can destroy an entire world, let alone making a new one in its place. It just can't be done."

"The Triforce makes the impossible possible," said Kanakana bluntly. "Knowing my master, he will stop at nothing the get whatever he seeks, and without hesitation implode Hyrule as a worthy sacrifice for his perfect world."

"And if he does get it…" Link mumbled. "Then there would be nothing we can do to stop him."

"Exactly." Kanakana paused. "You're breaking the barriers, correct? You plan on defeating the Five Elite Guardians, if I'm not mistaken."

"I've already taken out one," Link revealed. "How did you know?"

"As you suspected, they are indeed my master's weakness," Kanakana confirmed. "If you destroy them, you power will match that of his."

"But, why?" Link asked. "Why are you telling me this? Who's side are you on?"

"Although you might view me as a ruthless villain, I care for this land as much as you do," Kanakana said firmly. "I once supported the views of my master, yet somehow he has changed." He leaned forward. "What he seeks is something far more evil than I can stand for. This twisted, maniacal vision of a perfect world is nothing less than madness!"

Link cringed, clenching his fist. "You think you can really betray your master…just like that?"

"I once believed in his ideals," said Kanakana. "But now he as virtually betrayed everything I once supported. I do not believe he is in a correct state of mind anymore."

"Are you saying he's insane?" asked Navi.

"He's beyond insane," Kanakana said coldly. "This is something you should keep at the fore." He hesitated for a moment. "You need to break the barriers as quickly as you can. You must stop Ganondorf at all costs! If he finds the 'true force' before you are able to do it, the consequences will be unimaginable. I wish to help you in any way I can."

"I don't trust you," Link growled.

"You must!" Kanakana yelled, almost pleading. "Do you think I'm deceiving you? I could've easily killed you by now! You have to believe me; the future of our world depends on it."

Link ground his teeth together. He was once again faced with the same problem he had earlier, trying to figure out whether or not he should trust Kanakana. It was true that the man had not shown any signs of aggressiveness, but he still remained a part of the force that Link hated.

Before he could refuse, he suddenly remembered what he said to Malon. He told her that he wasn't going to make assumptions anymore. He told her that he was going to restore his faith in people. It all started with this.

Biting his lip, he looked up. "Okay. I'll trust you, this time."

Kanakana didn't seem like he was frustrated; only relieved. "…thank you," he whispered. "I cannot express how vital this is."

"Yeah…" Link muttered under his breath. "I'll…try once more to believe in people."

"I understand," said Kanakana, nodding. "We are, after all, enemies."

"But for now, your goals, our goals," Link warned. "I'll be keeping close watch of you."

"Fair enough."

Still not feeling comfortable, Link unclenched his fist, and with a shaky arm, slowly outstretched it, offering to shake his enemy's hand. Kanakana looked at it oddly, until turning back to him.

"You don't want to do that; trust me."

Link was taken aback. "What? Why not?"

Kanakana didn't say anything. The long grass of Hyrule field would brush against an average-sized man's hand, and he was no exception. He gently grabbed a blade between his index finger and thumb, and plucked a good part of it off the stem. He looked at Link, blade of grass in hand, and in a matter of moments, the grass froze instantly in a puff of sparkling frost.

"Yikes…" Link mumbled, retracting his hand. Kanakana discarded of the frozen grass, letting it hit the ground with at distinctive thump.

"That concludes our meeting," said the dark general. "I'd best be on my way; I have some important things to attend to."

He extended his hands forward and down, causing his tonfas to magically fly out of the ground and into his gloved hands. He swiftly returned them up his sleeves. The Iron Knuckles retrieved their weapons as well.

As Link pulled the Master Sword out of the ground and slid it back into his scabbard, he could help but say something. "Kanakana, can I ask you something?"

Kanakana looked up, waiting for the question.

"You might not know the answer to it," Link continued. "But I have to ask. It's about Princess Zelda. As far as you know…is she alive?"

Kanakana didn't say anything right away. He looked off for a moment, thinking. After about a minute, he eventually spoke.

"Oh…her…well, actually…now that I think about it, I head that–"

Link's eardrums shook just as violently as the ground. He felt a vicious shockwave slam into and through his body, ultimately knocking him off his feet. As he fell, he saw a brief flash of light, along with Kanakana falling down as well, the Iron Knuckles stumbling and taking a knee. When he hit the ground, a roaring wind and deafening rumbling shook him, and without warning, he could feel an intense heat pierce his forehead. Holding is ears as a thunderous roar overtook him, the ground shook with huge force. There was a giant wind blowing over him, almost causing his hat to fly off his head, but he kept it firmly on with his hand.

Something had happened; something catastrophic. He could have been in great danger, so he put in some effort and sat himself up, and looked towards the north.

Death Mountain was erupting. Tons of ash had been flung into the air, in rippled and frightening clouds of soot. An orange glow came from near the volcano's crater; lava. Link couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had always viewed Death Mountain as a peaceful place to live for the mountain folk, and a beautiful landmark. Now it had been transformed into an ominous symbol of destruction, and a calamitous force. The wind carried the ash clouds north, thankfully away from the inhabited parts of Hyrule, but this was definitely not something to ignore. It still rumbled, showing that the eruption was still in progress.

However, something almost immediately caught Link's eye. Death Mountain's halo, made out of misty clouds, seemed to be literally catching on fire. A crimson glow spread itself through it, causing it to spin more rapidly. The red flame gradually overtook the cloud, replacing it with a monstrous aura of fire, encircling the mountain's peak like some kind of wicked hellfire, watching over everything below. Lightning struck down from the heavens, striking the mountain every few seconds.

Kanakana picked himself up from the ground. "That…dragon…!"

Link frantically got to his feet as well. "Dragon? What dragon?"

"Volvagia…" Kanakana muttered, staring at all at the wall of fire. "What has that fool done!"

"Volvagia?" said Link. "Is…he…?"

"He's the Guardian of Fire," said Kanakana, still not turning around. "Does he realize what he's causing!"

Link's jaw dropped. This was the work of another guardian. This wasn't what he expected to happen, but no one could predict such a thing. Suddenly, he realized that the Gorons were still up there on the mountain; they were in danger. The people of Kakariko Village would be shaken as well. The Guardian of Fire had attacked Death Mountain and its people, with results far more devastating than what Phantom could conjure in the forest.

Almost in a mindless motion, Link began to run forward towards the mountain in a panicking hurry. He had to help them; he had to stop the Fire Guardian. He blew past Kanakana, the question he had asked him vaporizing in his mind; there were far greater things to worry about now, far greater than he had ever anticipated.


	28. And into the Fire

28

…_And Into the Fire_

_The Stalfos, now in more of a hurry than before after the tremendous shaking, exited the gates to Dodongo's Cavern, which was connected to another cavern proximate to the Fire Temple. The normal route out of the area was to cross Death Mountain's fiery crater itself, but knowing what Volvagia was going to do, he avoided it at all costs._

_Turning around and marvelling at the towering wall of ash leaning over the sky, it did cross his mind that all eyes were on them now, and this was no time to screw up. Being of a higher rank than most of the other Stalfos, marked by his bright red shoulder armour, he needed to reorganize the patrols, who were most likely as shaken as he was after the massive blast moments before._

_The stationary guards of the now deserted Dodongo's Cavern stood in awe at the wicked cloud, their blood-stained eyes occasionally being drawn to the odd lighting strike crashing into the slopes of the mountain. A high wind blew at the soaring altitude, causing their bones to rattle._

"_Yeah, you all saw it," said the Stalfos. "Don't start gawking at it. It's not so much of a spectacle."_

_One of them looked down; a Dinofos. "Are you kidding? The volcano just erupted. It's one hell of a spectacle if you ask me."_

_The Stalfos snarled. "It's not your duty to watch what our master carries forth! What you need to be doing is guard the trail; your orders are not to let anyone pass without immediate identification. If they don't hesitate, kill them without question. This is a time when everything needs to be perfect; no screw-ups!"_

_The Dinofos rolled its eyes. "And this came from Volvagia himself?"_

"_Of course."_

"_I suppose he doesn't see any concern over what he has done?"_

_The Stalfos paused. "What?"_

"_People from all over that town are probably watching the mountain now," said the Dinofos, pointing towards the East. "If someone decides to come up here, they're all going to come up. I don't know about you, but I'm not in the mood for slaughtering an entire town."_

"_If it needs to be done, do it," the Stalfos snapped. "Lord Volvagia's orders are absolute. If he wants all intruders to be annihilated, then let their corpses rot!"_

"_I'm sure he wouldn't approve of the genocide of one of the last remaining Hylian settlements, especially since they are under the watch of Lord Bongo-Bongo."_

"_I don't care if all of Hyrule comes running up the mountain!" the Stalfos yelled. "Kill them. That's an order from our master!"_

_The Dinofos was clearly irritated, almost to the point where the high-ranking Stalfos was hesitant to continue barking at him. When aggravated, Dinofos could easily tear one's head off with a quick snap of their massive jaws. This particular one's lips parted, revealing its cut-throat teeth._

_It turned and shoved one of the others, causing the whole group to stop staring at the giant ash cloud. It motioned its head towards the trail heading downhill, getting the soldiers to reluctantly return to their patrolling duties._

_The Stalfos crossed its arms and shivered. As much as he wanted to believe it was all for the best, he knew that the Hylians were extremely vigilant, and if they saw this as a threat, they might sum up enough courage to carry out something against them. Despite the heavy losses at the raid of Hyrule Castle Town, the race had still managed to maintain their numbers, although they lived in much poorer living conditions. They still multiplied, and a surprise attack wouldn't be in their best interest._

_Lord Bongo-Bongo had better keep his eye on them; otherwise there would be no telling what consequences might manifest if he lost control of them, since his subtle manipulations could not maintain themselves for long.  
_

* * *

Link tore up the long flight of time-worn stone stairs, heading through a small ridge towards the village. He had to skip steps now and then, since the longer he took to get there, the more urgent the matter seemed. Despite his racing heart, he found the energy to move even faster without any signs of fatigue.

It was quiet, aside from the sound of his heavy breathing. There weren't even the sounds of morning songbirds, since the giant blast most likely scared them all off. It was an eerie feeling, almost giving him the sense that he was about to walk into a massive cemetery.

He encouraged Navi to hide under his cap, at least until they got to Death Mountain. He knew that the remaining Hylians would be outside right now, looking at the volcano. If they were to spot his guardian sprite, they would surely delay his trip.

He leapt over the final tread, and pounded across the thinning grass at the top, hanging a left. He was a greeted with an old welcoming gate, seemingly older than the stairs. Leaf-bearing vines hung from its arc, partially covering up the engraved words carved into the surface.

_Thou hast found light in the shadow._

_Kakariko Village_

It looked like he was in the right place.

Still at a hurried run, Link bolted through the gate, later to gaze at what the village truly had become.

Normally, when Link thought of a village, he imagined just a small little hamlet, nestled in a quiet valley. Kakariko, on the other hand, served as simply a downgrade of what Hyrule Castle Town used to represent. The buildings were made of red brick, and seemingly well built. Most of them were residential, although quite small, and stretched quite a ways up some of the more gentle slopes away from Death Mountain, which dwarfed the town considerably. Small streams of smoke hovered over the roofs, marking which ones were already getting ready for breakfast. It had quite a peaceful atmosphere to it, cozy in a way.

One of the more prominent features of the town was a rather large windmill, off in the distance towards the North. It was made of white stone, similar to the charred buildings near Ganondorf's stronghold. Four sailed blades turned calmly in the light winds, giving the whole village a rural, picturesque image. In his hurry, Link almost considered this as an ideal place to live. He was truly thankful that the Hylians were accepted into this quiet little town, formerly belonging to the Sheikah.

However, the tranquility of Kakariko was visibly disturbed by Death Mountain's eruption. Many people had left their homes, looking in awe at the volcano's fiery halo, casting a scarlet haze down on their homes. Some of them even managed to get up on the roofs in order to get a good look. They were all putting their hands on their foreheads, blocking out some of the bright light that seeped through the dark clouds. It was foreboding, all of these people consumed by what the Fire Guardian, Volvagia, had started.

He sighed as best as he could as he ran. These were his people. They shared the same blood as him, and it was because of them that he was where he was now. He wasn't sure if they looked towards the mountain in wonder or in fear, but one way or another it was his duty as the wielder of the Master Sword to put an end to it.

Two men were up ahead, chatting amongst themselves. As Link approached, he realized that he needed to know how to actually get to Death Mountain's slopes from here, since last time he had Kaepora Gaebora to give him a lift. He needed to ask one of these folks; he was in a hurry.

They were in audible range now; he could hear them talking.

"I'm telling you!" said the one on the right. "I saw him! I saw the ghostly figure of Dampé the gravekeeper sinking into his grave!"

The other one, on the left, didn't look like he could hold back his laughter. "Look at you! Ever since you escaped from Hyrule Castle Town, you've grown even more timid! Did the big boom scare you? Ha ha!"

"Timid! Who are you calling—"

"Excuse me," Link interrupted, stopping his run. "I'm in a hurry. Can one of you tell me how to get to Death Mountain from here?"

The one on the left looked like he was still holding back a grin. "What…you want to head up there or something?"

"Yes," Link replied, looking around impatiently. "If you would please tell me; I don't have a lot of time."

The man chuckled. "I don't know. Seems kind of dangerous to head up there now."

Frustrated, Link grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, drawing the startled man close. "Look," he said strictly. "I'm in a hurry. I don't care what's happened at Death Mountain; I need to get there. Now."

Trembling somewhat, the man spoke. It looked like Link knocked the laughter out of him. "Yeah, yeah, sure. Just hang a left up ahead. There are some stairs and a steel gate. You can't miss it."

Link let the man go and continued running in the direction that was just pointed out to him. Faintly in the background, he could hear the two talking again.

"Now who's timid?"

"Shut up!"

Now in even more of hurry, Link saw the left turn, and took it. From what he could tell, there were no distinct streets or trails throughout the village; just plain grass. Now that he was close up to these buildings, he began to notice the details. Some looked newer than others, using different materials for each. This was understandable; with so many people fleeing here, they had no choice but to expand. The last thing this peaceful town needed was a slew of homeless people.

He burst down the alleyway, occasionally looking up at the looming volcano. It was dreadfully intimidating to look at, especially knowing that there was a guardian up there, most likely on the lookout for him. Link knew he didn't feel like this when he was chasing after Phantom back in the Lost Woods, since the forest had more of a pretty, magical kind of atmosphere. However, when he looked at Death Mountain now, all he could think about was how powerful this Volvagia must be in order to cause such a powerful blast.

Memories of King Dodongo and Dodongo's Cavern came back to him as he gazed upon the volcano's slopes. The beast's fiery breath was nothing to sneeze at, of course, but even the infernal dinosaur couldn't summon something this massive.

Chills ran down his spine. He thought he would be confident enough at this point that he would be able to take on the next guardian without any sort of trepidation, but even now his bones were starting to rattle. He assumed that with the defeat of the Forest Guardian he would have enough pride to do these tasks, but now he recalled that he had plenty of warning before entering the forest; at least a day. Now, he had spent all this time only preparing for the meeting with Kanakana, and duty summoned him when he least expected it. He was completely unprepared for what lay ahead, but he refused to slow down. Despite his nervousness, he had no second thoughts.

There was another flight of steps up ahead, just as the man had said. From what he could tell, it looked like there were plenty of them in the vicinity of the town, making it easier for the residents to get around the rather bumpy terrain. They looked new, however; the recent explosion in population must have forced them to make better methods of getting around, meeting the standards of those who used to live in luxury before the attacks.

Ascending up the stairs, he thought about how reckless he was being. Something like this was supposed to take careful planning, almost to an extent where he wanted to be a step ahead of the enemy. He winced, thinking that he was falling right into a trap. Phantom Ganon had lured him to his lair, and had come in mere inches of success.

Of course, Link had no idea what Volvagia intended to accomplish by blasting large amounts of molten rock into the air, but if it was to grab Link's attention, he had already won the first battle.

At the top of the stairs, a barred steel gate blocked passage to a dirt trail, leading straight towards Death Mountain. A lonely guard kept watch, but it seemed like he was enticed to stare at the ring of fire encircling the volcano's peak. The bright scarlet light flickered off his eyes as he turned his head.

"Whoa, there," he called out, rising to his feet. "Where are you going, kid?"

Link continued to run, eventually meeting face-to-face with the solid bars that ran across the gate. "I need to get through."

"I'm sure you do," said the guard, wedging a gloved hand in between Link and the steel bars, calmly separating them. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"You don't understand," Link assured him. "I need to head to Death Mountain. It's really important that I get through."

"Yeah?" The guard cracked a smile. "Are you a tourist or something?"

"Tourist?" Link spat. "That's like saying you're a civilian."

"I am a civilian," said the guard. "What do you think I am?"

Link was drawn aback. "I thought you were a soldier."

"Soldier? You mean like in an army?" He began to laugh. "We haven't had one of those for years. I'm just doing my job, kid. I'm not enlisted anywhere."

The man seemed middle-aged. He had thinning hair and a well developed beard. His facial skin was showing signs of loosening and wrinkling, with a few grey hairs protruding from his dark hairline.

"I don't know where you've been, kid," the man went on. "But those days are long gone. The only 'army' we have now are small groups of militia walking around the streets."

"I see," Link sighed. "I guess it makes sense."

"You don't look like you're from around here, kid," the man said, leaning against the stone pillar where the gate was fixed to. "Where are you from?"

Link hesitated. "I'm…not sure. I lost my memory a while back. Apparently I fell from the roof of my house. It's a little down that way." He pointed east.

"That's a shame," said the man, nodding his head, not catching Link's fib. "Was this a while back?"

"Like I said, I can't remember."

"That must be hard on you," said the man, frowning. "Can you remember your name?"

"Yeah. It's Link."

"Link, eh? Call me André." They shook hands. "How come I've never seen your face around here? I know pretty much everyone…I guess you slipped my eye."

"Is there any way I can pass?" Link asked, going back to his initial goal; he didn't have time for chitchat.

André smiled, looking up at Death Mountain's smoking crater. "I guess that's your reason why?"

Link nodded.

"Scared the living hell out of me," he admitted. "I'm used to my job as being a quiet, peaceful little task. It's not every day that a volcano blows its top behind you."

"There are people on that mountain," said Link urgently. "I need to help them. They're in danger."

"I'm sure everyone wants to be a hero," said André, shifting his position. "They aren't in the regulations, though. The way Death Mountain is now, I can't even let a dog through without permission from the big boss."

"Big boss?"

A voice called out from the bottom of the stairs. "Is there a problem here, folks?"

Link turned to see a man approaching them. His entire head, including his scalp and chin, were cleanly shaven. He didn't look as old as André, but was definitely beginning to show signs of aging. He was rather tall, wearing a tunic similar to Link's, only slightly longer at the bottom, displaying rather elegant colours of white and red. His arms had some mass to them, although not so much as other people Link had seen. He carried a dagger in a sheath on his belt. His eyes were cold, yet kind.

"Oh, hey boss," said André. "What can I do for you?"

The man reached the top of the stairs, letting his true height be known; just a few inches taller than Link. "André, you're on break. Go eat something. Leave this to me."

André seemed delighted. "This is earlier than usual, boss."

"Go, André," the man repeated. "I'll handle this."

"Fine, fine," said André, leaving his post and beginning to make his way down the stairs. "Nice meeting you, Link!" he called over his shoulder.

The man looked down at Link with a smile. "How can I help you?"

"I need to get through to Death Mountain," said Link. "Are you the guy that runs the place?"

The man laughed. "You can say that. The name's Bohdan Varick. And you're…?"

"Link."

The man's eyes widened, making their colour better defined; brown. His mouth began to gape, but it was as if he was trying his best to keep it up.

"You wouldn't happen to be…" he muttered, not directly speaking to Link. His eyes strayed, but not too far.

"Oh…" said Link. "You know me?"

"I'm…not sure…" Varick spoke softly. "You…are you…that boy from a long time ago? The one that had connections with the princess?"

Link smiled. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

Varick's face lit up. "You're that kid! I knew I recognized your clothes. I thought I'd never get to meet you in person. Where have you been all these years?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "I don't think we've met."

"I honestly wish we had," said Varick beaming. "When we started hearing about you all those years ago, I began to wish I hadn't had left the military. It didn't look like you came by here."

"You were in the army?"

"Quite involved, as well," he replied, nodding. "You're still a young man, it seems. You were probably not even born when I was in service."

"Were you around during the Great War? Apparently that was around the time I was born."

Varick smiled. "Those were my last days as General."

"You were a general?"

"Quite so," Varick replied. His eyes were still. "I held the title for ten years, up until the end of the war. Amentaris took over after me, once he rescued the princess from certain doom and saving the monarchy."

"What happened to you?"

"I was considered a failure," Varick sighed. "Letting the queen go off on her own business was made my fault. The queen herself never made an announcement of it, but I still faced the consequences of letting it go unnoticed. I was offered to become a high officer, but I couldn't live with the guilt. I simply left the service, settling here."

"I heard Amentaris was considered a hero," said Link. "I've heard the stories."

"Indeed he was. He saved the princess. It was only fitting for him to take my place. I didn't really see anything wrong with it." He looked off. "He served well up until his death, that day. I'm sure he died gloriously in battle, as he was meant to."

Link decided not to say anything regarding Amentaris' true status. "Are you the mayor of Kakariko Village?"

"I wouldn't call myself a mayor." Varick turned his head back. "I'm more like a social organizer. I pretty much just run everything that goes on in the town."

"Then…you'd let me through the gate?" Link asked, hoping for a good answer. "I really need to get through; it's a matter of life and death."

"I'm sure it is," Varick mumbled, looking up at the gargantuan ash cloud sweeping towards the north. He squinted. "If it's something of great importance to you, I'll make you an exception of our strict rulings." He turned back to Link; he had lost his smile. "This is only due to your trustworthy history. I should warn you; you're probably going to find more than a good view if you're going to climb the mountain in the state it's in right now."

"I'm all set," said Link, nodding his head towards the Master Sword, hidden beneath its scabbard, making it unrecognizable at a glance.

Varick eyed the sword. "Very well."

He brushed past Link and approached the right side of the gate, where André was posted just a few moments ago. Link caught a close glimpse of the dagger on his belt, bouncing the crimson rays of Death Mountain's halo into Link's eyes in bright flashes. As much as Varick liked to think that his days protecting the country were over, that weapon was a subtle hint of his past, perhaps something even he couldn't let go.

The man reached behind the stone structure, and seemed to be tampering with something. In a short time, the gate clicked, and slowly began to swing open.

"If you need to return, there is a lever on the other side of the gate." Varick began heading back towards the village.

"Thanks," said Link. "I'll try to repay the favour, somehow."

Varick turned his head. "Stop by sometime. My house is in the Far East side of the village. It's quite big; it's easy to find. I usually offer it as lodging for travellers. You're welcome any time."

"I'll consider it," Link answered, walking backwards through the gate. Suddenly, he began to wince, as he felt a strange burning sensation on the back of his neck; Death Mountain's doing. When he stared back off into the still sleepy settlement of Kakariko Village, Bohdan Varick was nowhere to be seen.

His heart already pounding, Link turned to begin his ascent up Death Mountain Trail, drawing out the Master Sword as he turned the corner.

* * *

_Amentaris leaned against the back of the farm's stable, ironically next to a perfectly usable stool, yet he preferred the ground. He calmly scribbled on a few pieces of yellowing parchment, not really trying to be neat with his handwriting. They were rested on his leg, raised up to eye-level; his neck was in danger of being stressed. Occasionally he lifted his grey eyes to observe the horizon, but only briefly. The warming sun returned to the field; the cold was already beginning to flee. He could even hear the animals behind him begin to stir._

_Extending his bottom lip past his top, blowing a strong puff of air straight upwards and parting some rogue strands of hair, he went back to his writing. There was no one to disturb him; no one to interrupt him as he jotted down the information, transferring knowledge from mind, to hand, to paper. Writer's cramp never seemed to be a problem with him; he gripped the pen loosely, not concentrating so much on the structure of his wording. As long as he got the message through, it was enough. Nothing took priority over this; it was imperative._

"_You're up early."_

_Unable to hold back his flinch, Amentaris rushed to fold the paper and set it aside, slamming it into the grass, careful not to tear it nonetheless._

"_Malon…" he breathed. "You scared me."_

"_Sorry." She offered him a glass of orange juice, to which he reluctantly accepted. He was thirsty._

"_Enjoying the open air?" she asked. "It's been quite some time, hasn't it?"_

_Amentaris finished sipping the juice. "Yes it has…" he mumbled, setting the glass on his knee. "Yes it has…"_

"_I'm going to be starting breakfast soon," she said, scratching her shoulder. "I need to know how many eggs you want."_

"_Just two," Amentaris requested, looking onward yet sporting a grin. "…over easy."_

"_You haven't been able to request what you wanted to eat up until now," Malon laughed. "Do you feel like a free man?"_

_Amentaris looked down, swirling his drink, almost nervously. "I wish…"_

_Malon paused. "I guess I know what you mean. Don't worry about it," she assured him. "Link's going to clear everything up; you'll see. He'll set things straight; he's done it before."_

_He stopped churning his juice, watching the spinning miniature current of squeezed oranges slow and vanish._

"_Yes…it all comes down to him," he said in an odd tone. He looked over to the folded piece of paper he was writing on, resting peacefully in the grass. "We're all counting on him…aren't we?"_

_He looked forward, and muttered something so softly that it was hardly even noticeable. "Just as he counts on us…"_

* * *

Lizalfos. There was no mistaking them.

He only saw them briefly; it was foolish to make himself open so soon. Nonetheless he knew what he was faced with, since it was hard to miss their golden eyes and air-licking tongues. Their jade scales absorbed all light, perfect for camouflage in woodland areas, but completely useless in the ashy terrain of Death Mountain Trail.

"Navi, how many are there?" he asked, pressing his back closer up against the rock, hiding himself. The blade of the Master Sword barely touched his ear.

"Hang on…I'll check," Navi replied, taking flight; ascending. She wanted to be above the sights of the enemy, otherwise Link's presence would be immediately known. They had studied him long enough that he was followed by a blue fairy.

He concentrated on his breathing. It was still quite chilly, and his breath created pale clouds of heat; an easy way of giving away his location. He knew he was going to try his best to exhale through his nose, but if any form of defence on Volvagia's part was going to be used here, the amount of air his nose could take it wouldn't cut it when he caught his breath.

Navi floated back down after her brief survey. "Six."

"How far away?"

"A good ways up. I'd say about fifty…seventy five feet?"

Link nodded and leaned his head up against the stone cliff, breathing a heavy exhale out his nose. "Which means…"

"…it wouldn't be a good idea to just run up there and hack them to bits."

Link opened his eyes and looked at his guardian fairy dryly. "And I suppose you have something better in mind?"

"Well…think about it," said Navi with a smile. "You've got lots of ways of dealing with bad guys. How about using what you got in the Forest Temple?"

Link reached around to the back of his belt, just below his shield, and detached his bow. Looking at the weapon's wooden structure, he couldn't help but crack a smile. "It seemed to work well on Phantom."

"I'm sure it would easily take care of a Lizalfos."

Sighing calmly, Link slid the Master Sword's shining blade into its scabbard, leaving his other hand free to reach into his well-filled quiver, pulling out one of its many arrows, with some noticeable blood stains still visible.

Almost curling his lips at the sight, Link carefully fixed the nock with the taught string, letting it snap securely in place. He pulled on it lightly a few times just to make sure everything was operating properly. The broadhead of the arrow gleamed, ready to serve its purpose.

Resting the bow at waist level and taking deep breaths, Link gave Navi a quick nod. She swerved to the other side of his head; if she were to come out before him, their position would be given away immediately.

Hesitating for a moment or two, Link ran out of his cover and sprinted towards a rather large boulder, obstructing half of the path. He dove behind it, his boots scraping across the coarse ground, his equipment jingling. He slid to a stop, and he held his breath, leaning up against the rock. He listened carefully for any threats – shouting, footsteps, maybe even a snarl or two.

Silence. If he had caused any commotion, they certainly weren't making it obvious. He couldn't count on sounds alone to confirm his stealth. Gazing over to an eagerly awaiting Navi, Link gave her a little bit of a signal, telling her to peek around the corner. She did so, eventually going back and casting a thumbs-up in his direction.

So far so good; now came the tricky part.

He could possibly afford to miss the target, but it would cost him. Six Lizalfos would be pushing it; he needed to take out at least two if he were to have a good chance of taking them down. Holding the string of the bow where the arrow was set firmly between his index and middle fingers, he looked down, closing his eyes, visualizing how he was going to do this.

It was now or never. Clenching his teeth, he spun around and stood up in one swift motion, levelling the arrow's shaft with his eye, and pulling back hard. The pack of reptiles promptly came into view; they were standing in a circle, almost in the sense that they were having a group conversation of some sort. Already beginning to feel himself sweat, Link aimed carefully, and let the arrow fly.

It shredded the very air around it. Link watched it closely as it flew away from him, towards them. It seemed like minutes, even if it were for only a fraction of a second. It closed in on the pack of Lizalfos, bearing down its piercing point on its target with malicious scheming.

A direct hit. The arrow landed straight into one of the enemies' chests, causing it to holler and fall back, holding the wooden shaft of the projectile as it pierced it scales and entered its flesh.

The others merely jumped, all watching their comrade collapse to the ground. Link had to take this chance. He scrambled to ready another arrow, attached it to the string, yanked back, and released.

This one was lethal. It pierced one of their heads, causing it to jolt and simply collapse to the ground. The first one was merely a major injury; this one was stone dead. The others were now in a panic, looking around frantically for where the arrow came from.

Too easy. Link let another arrow fly, nailing yet another in the lower torso. It didn't go down right away; it stumbled around momentarily, yet still eventually took a knee, not soon before falling flat on its face.

They saw him this time. The remaining three sprinted in his direction, drawing out their short swords in a hurry. They closed in fast, causing Link to stumble to grab another projectile. Their tongues lashed out of their open maws, thrashing left and right, flinging saliva in their whip. Their spiked shoulder rings flickered dim sunlight, flashing into Link's eyes, causing him to lose even more concentration. He tried to drown out their snarls as he set another arrow free.

It embedded itself in the mouth of one of the approaching Lizalfos, causing it to screech only briefly before falling forward and tumbling down the hill in a violent roll due to its running speed. It hit the flanking cliff, causing it to slide to a stop in a small cloud of dust.

The remaining two, however, were far too close for Link to safely land another shot; he was going to finish them off hand-to-hand. They were vicious; their jaws opening and closing wildly in a fit of rage, eyes aglow with fury.

Seeing no use for it as of now, Link tossed his bow behind him, quickly reaching back and redrawing the Master Sword, careful not to forget his Hylian shield as well. He exploded around the rock and charged at full speed towards the two stampeding Lizalfos, watching their movements.

One burst ahead of the other, and quickly made a horizontal swing for Link's neck. Seeing it coming a mile away, Link quickly ducked under it, letting it go past. He now set his sights on the second one, raising its blade high up into the air.

No need to dodge. Rising up from his crouch, Link swung the Master Sword up and to the right, creating a sizable tear in the enemy's body. It crumpled, dropping its sword harmlessly to the ground.

Link turned to see that last remaining Lizalfos making its way back up, swinging its sword left and right in blind anger. Thinking nothing of it, he slammed the Hylian shield into its unsightly face, hammering its brain about in its skull, knocking it out. It, like all the others before it, fell to the ground and ceased to move.

Not as much in a hurry, yet still quickly paced, Link calmly hopped over the reptile's fallen body. He jogged back to his original hiding spot, hastily snatching the bow he had discarded earlier.

He straightened up and fixed it back onto his belt, nodding Navi back to his side.

"Not too shabby," she said, surveying the six fallen enemies. "You've gotten better."

One side of Link's mouth lifted. "This coming from someone who just watches and advises?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Navi snapped, glowing brighter.

Link secured the bow into place. "You're talking to me like you're my superior or something."

"I am not!"

"Are too."

It happened in so small a fraction of a second that even he couldn't really understand how he reacted so fast. The familiar flash of blood-red steel flickered in the corners of his eyes, allowing him to jerk his head away sharply, letting the razor sharp blade go by harmlessly.

Crouching rather lowly now, he slid his right foot behind his left, spinning his body around, catching a glimpse of the broken and shattered ribs of a Stalfos. Thinking too quickly to make a rational decision, he broke forward and drove his head into the front of the Stalfos' exposed spinal chord, sending them both coming down the trail in a freak roll, struggling to get on top.

Link, fortunately, pinned the fiend to the dusty path, locking his knees on either side of its skull. Gripping the hilt of the Master Sword with two hands, he struck downward brutally, instantly severing the Stalfos' head in two.

There was no time for more delaying; this was a wakeup call. At this rate, he couldn't maintain his cover for long – he needed to make his way up the mountain before Volvagia could launch a significant offensive.

"We'll finish this later," Link called out, now sprinting up the trail, letting Navi catch up on her own.

He hurtled over the either dead or mortally injured Lizalfos, carefully watching the tall cliffs he sped by, scanning for any threats lying in wait. None were apparent, yet he could almost sense an ambush.

The bodies he was jumping over were no help to his stealth, either. If a patrol happened to come across them, the alert would spread rather quickly. On top of that, Link had no idea how many of them were here. The forces of the Forest Guardian were something to compare, yet Link did not know if he saw their full might. They could've also thinned due to Phantom's extensive service to Ganondorf; he wasn't sure of the age of Volvagia's loyalty.

The trail eased right, becoming steeper as it climbed the lower slopes of the mountain. The path itself became more rocky; harder to run on.

He noticed that the lightning strikes were becoming more frequent as he ascended higher. The wind that blew by carried a chilling bite to contrast with the burning heat of the volcano's peak, comparable to the sun. He was only so far up the slopes, and the conditions were only going to get worse as he went higher.

He stopped suddenly. Navi accidentally went ahead for a moment, yet quickly spun around and regained her proximity.

"What?"

Link hushed her. "Listen."

Calming thunder rolled across the sky faintly, following up a recent lightning strike. There was a soft howl of wind wandering past as well. Aside from that, there was complete silence.

"I don't hear anything," Navi whispered.

Link thought for a moment. He could have sworn that he heard something out of place – odd how it stopped so suddenly.

He tried to brainstorm. What could possibly stop making movements and noises the very second someone noticed them? The fact that it was able to watch the person was a given, and the only thing that could do that was a living, breathing thing.

Fearing the worst, Link cautiously took one careful step up the path, and sure enough he heard the sound – brief, almost impossibly rapid footsteps, detectable by the ear but impossible to precisely locate.

"Hear that?" Link asked. Navi nodded slowly. "We're being followed," he muttered softly. "Navi, I'm going to keep going ahead. Can you fly facing backwards?"

Navi nodded again. "I haven't had much practice, but I can do it."

"Keep an eye out. I don't think whoever's following us knows we can hear him. If he tries to rush us, let me know. I don't think we should go looking for him, either."

"Got it," Navi responded.

Navi's light made it hard to tell where she was looking. For a distant and cautious observer, he could only assume she was facing the direction she was travelling in. When Link stepped forward, his pursuer would reveal himself only briefly, but just long enough that Navi could identify who or what it was.

Link slowly emptied is lungs, opened his eyes, and reluctantly took a step forward – Navi immediately began to follow. He opened his ears, listening for the same peculiar sound he had been hearing for the past while. They were like amplified footsteps of an insect, rapidly thundering left and right, from haven to haven.

"Do you see anything?" Link asked through his teeth, not stopping his steady ascent.

"I…I don't know…" Navi replied. "I see something, but I don't know what it is."

Link cringed. He sped up his walk slightly. "Not good. We need to hide somewhere if we have no idea what this thing is."

Navi didn't say anything. Still yet, she continued to monitor what was behind them, looking left and right as this thing jumped from place to place, faster than what the eye could detect.

On the left of the trail, Link spotted a small grove in the thick rock, large enough for him to slip into. The way the rocks curved into the nook almost seemed unnatural, as if they were mined by hand. The Gorons did seem to have a vast network of underground tunnels through the active volcano, most of them connecting to Dodongo's Cavern. Perhaps this might lead to the cavern itself, yet Link still had lingering second thoughts. If the outside of Death Mountain was infested with enemies, Dodongo's Cavern would be an ideal place to establish at least some kind of operating base. After all, it was used as such in the past.

"Navi, keep close," Link instructed, breaking into a run.

He eased towards the left, and slid comfortably into the small cave. It was dark, somewhat cold, yet Navi at least provided some liberation from it. Although it looked cramped and small from the outside, the cave actually did have some volume to it, enough for Link to easily find room to outstretch his arm with the Master Sword still in hand and not have its piercing tip touch the rocky walls.

In a swift movement, Link ducked and crouched hurriedly by the wall. Looking onward, his was somewhat disappointed; no secret tunnel, and no reroute to Dodongo's Cavern. Instead, simply a scarlet drapery, hanging motionless on the other side of the grotto, unmoving in the windless air. It bore no designs, nor patterns or any other indication of its origin or meaning, but only served as possibly a mark of territory.

Link winced. In the silence, he could still hear the footsteps approaching, now much slower, more cautious. He could distinctly hear the tiny rocks and pebbles they disturbed, rolling down the hill, bouncing off one another. He slid closer to the wall, hoping that he could possibly hide, but this also prevented him from a clear view of the entrance.

The footsteps slowed even more as they closed in on Link's hiding place, dragging almost clumsily, waiting for the perfect moment…

Link scrambled to his feet and swung the Master Sword across his chest and to the left, right towards the entrance, where he pointed its tip at the victim's neck, inches away. His pursuer flinched, eyes looking left and right uncomfortably, before giving him an awkward stare, tilting his head off.

"Quick…" said Sheik, not finding anything else to say.

Immediately pulling his blade away from Sheik's throat, Link stumbled around the room in rage.

"You scared the living daylights out of me!" he yelled.

Sheik seemed to be smiling. "I am not without eyes."

Link slid his sword back into its scabbard, beginning to catch his breath. "Don't…ever do that again."

"Do what?"

"Follow me like that!" Link blurted. "You were doing that for like…a minute! I didn't know if you were an enemy or not!"

Sheik raised an eyebrow. "Why would I follow you? I just got here."

"What?" Link asked. This made no sense. "If you just got here…then what was…"

From the other side of the entrance, something jumped into view. A four-legged creature, its quadruple claws dug deep into the rock, and hung there effortlessly. The insect-like beast ogled Sheik hungrily with its single blood-red eye, matching its scarlet abdomen. Its legs were spiked with disgusting feelers, twitching with delight. Its pincers rubbed against each other eagerly, overflowing with steaming saliva.

Link quickly took the Master Sword out again in an attempt to kill the thing before it harmed his companion, but Sheik already saw this as an alert. Without even thinking, the young Sheikah let his knife-carrying hand emerge, and plunge directly into the hideous eye of his stalker, driving it straight through into its skull in a swift movement.

The creature twitched and squealed for a moment before going limp, loosing its grip in the overhanging rock, falling to the ash-stricken ground.

Flicking off the traces of blood from his knife, Sheik shrugged. "Have I found the perpetrator?"

Once again returning the Master Sword to its scabbard, Link calmly approached and looked over the body of the fallen beast. "I guess so. It would explain why those footsteps were so rapid."

Sheik chuckled. "It's a Red Tektite…nothing in relation to Ganondorf." He warily nudged one of its flaccid limbs with his foot, making sure it was dead. "It's simply a mountain-based predator, attacking anything that moves…" He gave Link an odd stare. "…including its own ilk."

"You're saying this thing's a cannibal?" Link inquired.

Sheik shook his head. "Not entirely. It'll only attack its kin if it is either threatened or if there is a scarcity of food. Otherwise, it would be simply an error on its part."

Link bit his lip. "Good thing Hylians aren't like that."

"I should hope so," laughed Sheik.

Now realizing he was simply wasting time staring at the body of a Tektite, Link once again turned to the scarlet curtain hanging on the other side of the grotto. He couldn't quite find any logic to its purpose, including the lack of symbolism displayed on its thin fabric. Even its stillness sparked ponderings.

"Something troubling you?" Sheik called from behind.

"How far away is Goron City?" Link asked. "Can you give me an estimate?"

"A five minute hike from here, if you take the main path. Of course, that is assuming we don't run into any trouble, and given the state the mountain is now, it's difficult to avoid completely."

"That's what I was thinking on the way up here," Link explained. "It was hard enough to get this far, but I think it will only get tighter as we go higher."

"True," Sheik agreed. "Did you have anything else in mind?"

"I walked in here, thinking that there would be a secret entrance to Dodongo's Cavern, but it looks like it's just a dead-end."

"It would appear that way," Sheik sighed, calmly walking forward towards the scarlet cloth. "Sometimes, however, one of the best things to do in tricky situations, especially those that require thought, is to…"

He reached forward toward the drapery, gripped it, and yanked it down with quick force, causing it to rip and flutter to the ground. Behind it, a hidden ladder revealed its presence.

"…think outside the box."

Link stared at the ladder in awe. It led to another small tunnel just one level up, with distinctive daylight flowing out and pouring into the cave. It definitely wasn't a shortcut into Dodongo's Cavern, but by the looks of it, it seemed like a credible secret passage.

"Sheik…how did you…?"

"Know that was there?" Sheik finished. "Many wild animals up on the mountain, with the possible exception of Red Tektites, are repelled by the colour red. This passage looked like it was made artificially, and just having it made to put up a red curtain that hid nothing would be illogical. I suppose the Gorons put it up to keep wild animals out, wouldn't you think?"

"I was wondering why they would put that up…" Link mumbled. "All right. We don't have much time. We should get to Goron City as quickly as possible and find out what's going on."

Link began to hastily proceed towards the ladder, until he felt a firm grip on his shoulder, halting him.

"Not so fast," said Sheik. "We need to check if the coast is clear before we advance."

"And you won't let me do that myself?"

Sheik's shrouded face made it difficult to determine his expression. "I can't risk you getting killed. You are the Hero of Time, and I am merely your associate. Your life comes before mine. Please don't take this as a gesture of mistrust."

Rolling his eyes, Link nodded. "Fine," he grumbled. "I guess this is your moment to shine."

Giving a faint laugh, Sheik cautiously reached for the ladder. He stepped up, and silently ascended. There were only a few steps, so it didn't take him long to poke his head briefly over at the top. He stared for a few moments, and then calmly climbed down back to the bottom. He turned and began to look around casually.

Link hesitated. "Well? Is it clear?"

"Nope," Sheik sighed.

"How many?"

"Lots."

Unfortunately, this wasn't what Link was hoping for. Despite the fact that Sheik put reported it so offhandedly, possibly to cause effect, this was bad. He should've considered the fact that the amount of enemies wouldn't become scarce as he closed in on their base of operations, but do the exact opposite.

So much for the shortcut.

"Well…what do we do now?" Link asked. "Should we take the normal route?"

Sheik was pondering. He tapped the tips of his bandaged fingers against his thigh, close to his sheathed combat knife. Looking up swiftly, as if having a brilliant idea, he turned to Link with a smug look to his eyes. He gradually drew out his knife.

Link backed up. "Sheik…what are you doing?"

The Sheikah flipped the dagger between his slender fingers. "It's more like what _we_ are going to do."

"And that is…?"

Quiet laughter escaped from the fabric that covered his nose and mouth. "What we do best, of course," he said, holding the knife firmly. He eyed the Master Sword.

"You don't mean…" Link stuttered.

"That I do. The only thing we can do now is attempt to break through. Goron City lies just beyond, and all that lies between it and us is a platoon of unwatchful minions."

"Those unwatchful minions could overtake us," Link protested.

"True," said Sheik, nodding. "So could the air patrols that survey the main trail, and with much greater ease. It's your call."

Link growled. "If you're so sure, then fine." He slowly withdrew the Master Sword, followed shortly by the Hylian shield. "How many is 'lots,' anyway?"

"Ten…maybe fifteen?"

"You…you made it sound like a lot more!"

"I don't believe I'm responsible to how you, with your own mind, interpret what I say." Not waiting for Link to respond angrily, Sheik once again turned towards the ladder, still keeping his knife in his hand. "I would advise you keep alert. I don't want you striking me down in the middle of a brawl."

Once Link's partner began to ascend the ladder, he quietly followed. He was reluctant not to retort, but this was not the time to argue; there were much more important matters to attend to.

As Sheik crawled over into the overhead ledge, Link began to ascend as well. Climbing while armed was difficult, yet somehow the Master Sword had no intention of leaving his hand. He was the one destined to clutch its sacred hilt, after all. He reached the top, and stepped up onto the ground as silently as possible. Sheik was leaning up against the wall, peering down the hall, knife hidden yet drawn.

Beyond the tunnel stood a group of Stalfos, occasionally dotted with the odd Dinofos. Some of them were talking with one another, while others were either watching the path or staring up at the giant ash cloud that towered above them. From what it looked like, they seemed so-far unaware of Link's presence.

There was a particular Stalfos that stood out from the rest. It was clad in red armour as opposed to midnight blue, possibly a higher ranking officer as opposed to the others.

"There's quite a few of them," Link whispered across the tunnel. "How do you think we should do this?"

"You're handy with a bow, aren't you?" Sheik whispered back, not turning his head. "See if you can get one or two without them noticing."

Link was thankful he had not left his bow at the bottom of the mountain. Being as quiet as possible, he let the blade of the Master Sword silently drop into the depths of its scabbard. He unclipped his bow, bringing it forward across his waist. Resting it on his knee, he peered off towards the group beyond, attempting to pick out a logical target.

"How about the red guy?" Link proposed, referring to the Stalfos officer.

Sheik paused. "Looks good. Go for it."

He reached towards the tip of one of the arrows he happened to use earlier down at the foot of the mountain, and pulled it out of the quiver. He made sure the Stalfos was standing still, and once confirmed, he set the arrow and pulled back.

The arrow whistled as it shot forward, passing Sheik's head, exiting the tunnel, and landing slightly off-target into the Stalfos' exposed humerus.

The arrow-stricken Stalfos grunted loudly, holding its arm in pain. The others quickly turned towards him to see where the arrow had landed, and almost immediately turned again to look down the hallway, straight at Link and Sheik.

"Damn it," Sheik cursed. He broke forward, and Link found no other option but to do the same. They charged through the hallway towards the scrambling enemy, Link once again withdrawing the sacred blade of time. Sheik tasted first blood by stabbing a rogue Dinofos that escaped from the pack, but Link eventually did the same as he plunged the tip of the Master Sword between the ribs of an attacking Stalfos.

He found himself surrounded over and under by the flashing of blades meeting sunlight, the raging shimmer of reptilian and undead eyes. They swung at him in all different directions, with the only options of dodging and blocking. Attacking was secondary, yet crucial. He struck whenever he saw an opening, ignoring the spray of blood or the shatter of bone as he continued to frantically concentrate on everything happening around him. Every so often he would meet metal, which would quickly follow by swift motion of the sword, repelling the threatening blades and spears to their owners, leaving enough time to lunge with brute force, knocking the enemy back and hopefully killing at least a few of them.

He saw a brief flash of Sheik's silhouette amidst the obstructing chaos, fighting the same fight. Within moments, the pack of Stalfos and Dinofos dispersed, either lying dead on the ground or fleeing down the hill. All was clearly not over though, as the Stalfos commander had apparently removed the arrow protruding from his arm, and had drawn its jagged sword to get his revenge.

It showed no signs of hesitation, so Link showed none either. Their blades clashed against each other, launching sparks with every hit. This particular Stalfos seemed to be more of an able fighter than the others, bearing no surprises. Link took a vertical swing downward, falling right into the Stalfos' horizontally braced blade, forcing them to stick together like glue. They struggled, trying to gain the offensive, all the while looking into each other's eyes, living or dead, piercing resolve.

Sheik came from nowhere. He approached the struggling Stalfos from the rear, staying low, and stabbed the skeleton's exposed calf, embedding the six-inch razor blade straight through the bone, causing the Stalfos' leg to fracture and crack before withdrawal.

The Stalfos roared in agony before dropping to a knee, giving Link the change to deal the final blow. He wound up and slashed his foe directly across the face, severing the connection between its skull and mandible, killing it instantly. What remained of its body crumbled to a scattered pile of bones and armour.

Link and Sheik stood over the remnants of the platoon, beginning to catch their breath. What little wind blew over the mountain served as somewhat of a relief, but the pulsing heat coming from Death Mountain's smoking peak served as a harsh insult to the soft air. It far overpowered the sun, and the longer Link stood there, the more he thought he was going to fry under its piercing warmth.

Sheik slowly slid his knife back into its sheath, hidden under his belt, yet his eyes wandered sceptically, as if he somehow had lingering thoughts of the enemy regrouping. Link didn't pass this off as impossible, nonetheless. They looked at each other briefly, Sheik ending it with an approving nod.

Beyond lay the entrance to Goron City. The two heavy wooden doors stood wide open, almost as if in a welcoming gesture as two open arms preparing for an embrace. Either the Gorons had not noticed the monsters roaming the mountain slopes, or something terrible had happened within.

The latter seemed more likely.

Navi fluttered in front of his eyes, blocking his view of their destination. "Are we all done here? Would now be a good time to head inside?"  
Before Link could answer, Navi seemed to notice something. It was hard to tell, but she seemed to be looking over Link's shoulder, and her eyes expressed anything but security. Link turned his head and looked down the sloping path, which was now clearly occupied.

A swarm of Stalfos, Lizalfos, and fuming Dinofos stampeded up the mountain slope, their two intruders in clear sights. Dust and ash sprayed out from the soles of their feet with each thundering impact. If they had any, their sharp teeth would be bared, the Dinofos having streams of smoke escaping from the corners of their mouths as if they were steam-powered machines, ready to crash through any obstacle that lay in their path.

Link turned back to his guardian fairy in a panic. "Yeah! Now would be a good time!"

The decision didn't require much thought. Link burst in the opposite direction – towards Goron City – giving Sheik the same message without a word escaping from his mouth. He could only hope that he was running faster than his pursuers. He pounded the ground behind him as fast as he could. Sheik, thankfully, sounded like he was fleeing as well from the horde.

Something flew by his head, fast. It only missed him by a few feet, and proceeded to travel forward, and eventually hit the ground in a cloud of dust. It looked like an arrow.

"They've got an archer!" Sheik called out from behind.

Link was now inexplicably running faster. Something about an archer didn't register in his mind as a good thing.

As they approached the gates to Goron City, Link wondered if they were falling right into a trap. The city could've easily been overrun by the enemy, now lying in wait for the hero to just walk right in.

He almost outstretched his arms towards the wooden doors as he drew near, but they quickly snapped back when another arrow flew over his head. It landed inches from the door, spraying a good amount of ashy dust onto its surface from the impact.

He made it. He touched the gate just to make sure it wasn't a figment of his imagination. Once he confirmed he wasn't dreaming, he ran his hands along the left gate as he continued to run towards the end, making sure Sheik was doing the same on the other side. He didn't bother to look inside the city; all that mattered now was to stop the enemy's chase.

Gripping the far end of the gate, Link winced as he heaved the heavy door outward. It was made for Gorons, who were much more physically able than Hylians, therefore giving Link a hard time pushing it forward. It moved, but not fast enough for the enemy to be cut off in time. He put all of his body weight forward on the wood, his boots sliding in the escaping dust and gravel.

Sheik had his back pressed up against his side of the gate, yet it was moving just as slowly as Link's was. The Hero of Time peered out the side of the door, seeing the enemy drawing in closer and closer, ready to pounce him and rip him apart in a matter of seconds.

The gate was now about halfway closed, and he had growing concerns about the attackers. He heard a loud knock on Sheik's side of the gate, and not a friendly one, either. The tail of a recently fired arrow protruded out from Link's field of vision, giving quick explanation of what the noise was.

As the two doors moved their final inches, they began to click as the locking mechanism began to operate and seal them together. The final morning light escaping through the space between them was extinguished, the gate slamming shut, its sound echoing throughout the many walls of the city.

Only a few seconds after did Link here a whole bunch of slamming on the door. He was still leaning up against it, physically feeling every blow dealt to it. He could feel the enemy desperately ramming against it, trying to break it down and get to their now escaping enemies, but the gate refused to budge.

Suddenly, the noise stopped, and a few muffled voices replaced it. Link pressed his ear up to the door to try and pick up what they were saying.

"They're heading towards the Fire Temple!" one of them shouted. "Quickly! Take the shortcut to Death Mountain's crater! We have to cut them off before they reach the temple's gate!"

He could hear their many footsteps running in the opposite direction, fading quickly into the sightless world beyond the gate, known only to him as its sounds.

They were gone, at least for now.

Link breathed a heavy sigh of relief, resting his head against the fully secured gate to Goron City. Sheik, on the other hand, calmly recollected himself and stepped away from the door and gazed deeply into the city. All Link had to do was look into his eyes, and he could already tell what Sheik was seeing.

"I thought so…" Link mumbled, loud enough for Sheik to hear. "There's nobody here, is there?"

* * *

"_I have very little trust in what you are doing," Bongo-Bongo grumbled._

"_Little trust…Bongo-Bongo has…in all guardians…" Morpha replied as coldly as its speaking abilities could allow._

"_I contact you not to discuss my position with the others," the Shadow Guardian snapped. "I'll ask you one more time; did you supply aid for the eruption at Death Mountain?"_

"_You…assume…"_

"_I'm not in the mood for games, Water Guardian! Answer the question – the Great Ganondorf demands it of you!"_

_Morpha fell silent briefly, considering its master. "Volvagia…" it began. "Fire Guardian…acts alone…would refuse any…assistance…"_

"_I do hope you are telling the truth, Morpha," Bongo-Bongo growled. His giant red eye burned through the visual portal, which somehow managed to stay open while fully submerged in Morpha's cytoplasm. "Too many things have been happening since the hero's return. The more trouble he causes, the more the remaining guardians are prone to become reckless. Don't let Phantom's example go unacknowledged."_

"_Phantom…weak…"_

"_Let not his strength blur the message!" said the Shadow Guardian. "I will inform the Great Ganondorf of what you have told me. Don't think that he hasn't suspected you of treachery. Volvagia has caused enough of a problem as it is; we need no more issues regarding internal faults."_

"_Ganondorf…worries not…Bongo-Bongo…must look internally…as well…"_

_The Shadow Guardian was clearly irritated by Morpha's repetitive offence, yet he said nothing. He simply stared from beyond the void, trapped in his own personal dimension in an attempt to escape from catacombs that underlay Kakariko Village. His bulging eye pierced the darkness than enveloped his entire body, constantly tugging and pulling at his flesh, yet he shed no blood or remorse._

_He silently closed the gate, no longer interested in whatever Morpha had to say to him. The cytoplasm was not disturbed by the dimensional rift as it snapped shut – not if Morpha didn't want it to. It, like the Water Guardian itself, was another living, breathing thing, completely submissive to its will. However, Morpha simply acted as its brain, manipulating it to do its bidding, and without it would be defenceless. They both served each other's needs, but only under Morpha's name._

"_Patience, Love," Morpha called to its biological counterpart. The Water Guardian had troubles verbally communicating with outsiders, but between it and the cytoplasm, its words flowed like the river. "All of the guardians worry about what the others are doing. Do not be discouraged by Bongo-Bongo's concerns."_

_Morpha's surrounding body murmured and groaned._

"_Yes," Morpha mumbled. "All the while there are beings in this world that do not fear their superiors. Volvagia knows this as well, and look what he has done. All eyes turn to him now. If all goes well on Death Mountain, his presence will be much acknowledged by the Hylians."_

_The cytoplasm shook._

"_Of course. The Gorons will be long dead."_

_More shaking._

"_Yes, Love, we will have ours as well. I have prepared a special underwater show for the Zoras to witness within a few hours. All has been prepared, just as we had planned it."_

_Moaning._

"_All in good time, Love, all in good time." It began to laugh. "It's going to be cold, this summer…"_

_The cytoplasm flowed and swirled excitedly._

"…_very cold."_

* * *

Not a single sign of life in sight. The cavern seemed dead, dark and almost yearning for silence. The quiet was so eerie, Link thought he could almost hear echoed screams reverberating off of the stone walls. The air seemed as still and tranquil as the cavern itself, the only breeze coming from underneath the sealed gate behind them.

They were too late. Whatever happened on Death Mountain, it has apparently got to the Gorons. Either they had been killed, or they had set off to investigate, just as Link had.

The area was not scarce of evidence, however. There was litter strewn about, and as far as Link knew, Gorons weren't the type to be messy. Broken pots lay amuck on the stone floor, some new, some old. There were scorches and scratches all along the walls, bits of debris spread on the ground, and if his eyes didn't deceive him, speckles of blood.

There was a rock by Link's foot, looking like it fell from one of the walls. He reached down and grabbed it with a firm grip, and hurled it into the black abyss below. He cursed at the top of his lungs, his voice ricocheting throughout the cavern in multiple cadences. He slid down the wall until he was seated, his head looking forward.

"Now what?" he grumbled. "They got to them before we did. I should've thought they wouldn't be stupid enough to let me rally them up before they could do anything."

"Strange strategies our enemy executes…" Sheik mumbled. "These acts are almost suspicious."

"Of what?"

"The damage here is minimal, and from what I can see, there didn't seem to be much of a struggle – not enough to be a deadly attack. The only blood shed here was that of compliance, not mindless slaughter."

"Prisoners of war," said Link, nodding.

"For what purpose these arrests were for, we have yet to discover," the Shiekah sighed. "However, it would be wise to note that Volvagia once did have a…taste for Gorons."

There was a crumbling sound beneath them. It began as a brief scraping, followed by the sound of pebbles rolling down a slope, a spray of dust. What came after were calm footsteps, almost hesitant.

"Someone's here," said Link, standing up. "A sentry!"

"Quickly, head inside!" Sheik instructed. "We can use him for questioning – find out where they have taken the Gorons!"

They burst off in opposite directions, Sheik taking the right flank, Link taking the left. The sound appeared to have originated one level below them, so Link had to find a way to get there as fast and efficiently as possible. The last time he was here, the tribe lowered him down the cavern via a manually-controlled elevator, yet when he looked towards the general area where it was located, he was not shocked to discover that it had been thoroughly destroyed.

Up ahead, somewhat obscured by the gloomy haze that filled the city, stood a wide tunnel that seemed to travel downward. When he got within good visible range, there was indeed a flight of carefully constructed stone steps that seemed to wind down a short passageway, turning sharply back into the heart of the city. Seeing no time for pondering, he jumped down the stairs as fast as his legs would allow. He grabbed the right wall to steady him as he whipped around the corner and sprinted back into the bulk of the city.

There, on the right wall that curved ever so gently to create the cavern's inner walls, something scurried into a small grotto and out of sight.

Sheik was already speeding down the opposite end of the cavern, verily seeing the same movement Link just observed.

The rocky and silent hollowed-out walls of the cave rolled past like the wind, the hand-painted images of ancient Goron heroes running past him as if fleeing from the creature that just lay ahead, solitary and unprotected.

Link and Sheik almost collided when they reached the tiny grotto, yet stopped just inches apart from each other in a skidding halt. Link was the first to turn towards the cave's entrance, but instead of seeing a narrow escape tunnel like he expected, he only briefly saw the blur of a low-oriented fist colliding with the side of his jaw.

Feeling is teeth rattle as he struggled not to stumble back to far, Link reoriented himself.

"Why, you little…" he growled, swinging the Master Sword forward against the obscure yet small creature before him. However, before the weapon's polished steel could completely strike, the creature shifted its position oddly, and Link's sword bounced off of it like he was striking a rock. Knocked back by the impact, the being rolled deeper into the cavern, now fully obscured by the blackness. Link and Sheik only stood there, yet still kept their eyes peeled and remained battle-ready for anything that could emerge from the cave's depths.

Instead of a creature sulking out of its cover, only words made their appearance from the obscurity.

"You!" a small voice called out from the darkness. "How could you do this to me? You…you're Ganondorf's servant!"

Link and Sheik both exchanged confused looks before looking back in the direction of the voice.

"Hear my name and tremble, foul-doer!" the childlike voice boomed. "I am Link! Hero of the Gorons!"

Link, now no longer having the proper mental composure to keep a proper fighting stance, simply stood up straight; he suddenly didn't feel as threatened by this creature. After an uneasy silence, Sheik seemed to be inching forward, but Link stopped him.

"I think I can handle this," he whispered. "Just stay put."

After a moment, Sheik stopped and held his ground, eyeing Link suspiciously. Not hearing any further cries from beyond the dark entrance, Link called forth.

"An interesting name you have, Hero of the Gorons!" he called. "Such an odd coincidence that I share the same as you!"

Some odd rustling and shifting came from the cave. The small voice issued yet again. "What? Your name is also Link?"

"Come out," Link requested. "I've put away my sword. I believe I mistook you for my enemy. Let me see your face."

There was a moment of hesitation, yet eventually slow footsteps came. A small Goron, perhaps half the height of those who Link remembered, came forth from the abyss. This did, however, explain his small and young voice; he was a child Goron – one that Link had not seen before.

"Your clothes!" the Goron exclaimed, his eyes becoming owlish. "Then…you…you have to be! You're Link! You're the legendary Dodongo Buster and hero, Link!"

"That's me," Link confirmed. "It looks like my fame has lasted a lot longer than I originally thought. And who might you be?"

"I'm Link!" said the Goron with pride in his voice. "The only difference is that I'm not a Hero of the Gorons…not yet, anyway."

"I don't think we've met before," said Link. "But at least I won't have a hard time remembering your name."

"My dad's name is Darunia," the young Goron went on. "Do you remember him?"

"You're Darunia's son?" said Link, somewhat surprised.

"I know…I don't act like him…" the Goron mumbled. "But I think I'll be really big and strong one day, because Dad named me Link after you because you're so brave!"

The Goron's eyes were almost welling. Link didn't quite know how to act in front of such a fan.

"This is so cool!" the Goron exclaimed. "I never thought I'd meet you in person. Link…you are a hero to us Gorons! I'm so glad to meet you!" He began to shift nervously. "Can I…can I have your autograph?"

Sheik began to chuckle, but all Link could do was stand confused. The Goron said he wanted an autograph, but Link wasn't sure if he knew what an autograph was, or whether or not he had one to give to the child. He turned to his companion.

"Sheik…do we have an autograph?"

For some reason, this made Sheik laugh even more.

"Oh…" the Goron mumbled, causing Link to turn back to him. "I guess this isn't the best time for asking for stuff like that." He now had a much more concerned expression on his face. "Link…you have to help everyone!"

This was what Link was looking for. Despite the fact that he had found one Goron inside the city, the majority of the tribe's population remained unaccounted for. When Link thought that this child was an enemy sentry, his intentions were to capture and interrogate him for answers as to what happened here, but a native Goron would prove to be more than sufficient for providing the same information.

"Okay," said Link, kneeling down in front of the child to become a bit more personal. "I saw the eruption from Hyrule Field. I came up here to see if everything was all right, but from the looks of it I think I came too late."

"No…you're not too late! At least I think…" said the Goron. "When everything went wrong, I thought you would come, since you came to help us when we needed you the most a long time ago, before I was even born. This is the perfect chance for you to save everyone!"

"Tell me," said Link calmly. "What can I do to help?"

The Goron looked like he was about to cry. "M-my dad, Darunia, went to the Fire Temple…a dragon is inside!"

"A dragon?"

"If we don't hurry up, even my dad will be eaten by the dragon!"

The poor Goron burst into tears. The mere thought of his father in danger caused him to weep, since it seemed that he looked up greatly to people like him, not to mention Link.

"Hey, it's okay," Link assured the child. "If I'm going to make things right, I need you to cooperate with me…do you understand?"

The child continued to sob, not heeding Link's advice. Link knew that the Goron was just a child caught in the middle of a wicked plot, yet as of right now he was the only connection between Link and knowing what the Fire Guardian was doing.

"Try talking to him," said Sheik lowly. "Perhaps he will calm down if you ask him a question."

Link thought briefly. "Link," he said. "Tell me about the dragon. Tell me who this dragon is – I need to know."

The Goron sniffed. "Us Gorons don't read much on the history of all of Hyrule, but we do learn a lot about Death Mountain in school. Long ago, before the Gorons lived on the mountain, an evil dragon named Volvagia took refuge here. When our ancestors first began settling against the volcano's slopes, Volvagia got very irritated. He didn't want anyone else besides himself to live on the mountain, so every night he would fly out of Death Mountain's crater and attack us. One by one, our forefathers were taken away to his lair to be eaten…that dragon began to love the taste of Gorons! We struggled to establish ourselves, but again and again Volvagia continued to terrorize our people. After many months of attempting to ward off Volvagia, the fabled Hero of the Gorons had had enough of the mindless slaughter. Using a huge hammer, the Hero of the Gorons…BOOM!"

Link and Sheik flinched.

"…destroyed it, just like that," the Goron continued. "Most people think that this is just a myth from long ago, but it's true. I know, because my dad is a descendant of the hero."

"And if you're his son, that makes you a descendant as well," said Link.

"Right."

"There's one thing that doesn't make sense, though," Link went on. "You said that Volvagia was killed a long time ago. How is he still alive now?"

"I have no idea," the Goron admitted. "But it has to be Volvagia…I know it is! Someone must've revived him. Why else would all the Gorons be taken away?"

"What happened to them?" asked Link. "Where have the others been taken?"

"Everyone must've been taken to the Fire Temple, since that's where Volvagia is hiding right now. When my dad and I were busy, Ganondorf's followers came and took them all away! If that dragon is up to its old trick, all of them will be fed to Volvagia! My dad thinks that Ganondorf has revived the dragon and intended to let it feed on the Gorons as a warning to those who might oppose him. Dad left to go to the Fire Temple all by himself to try and save everyone, but…"

"I doubt he has the strength alone to both rescue the Gorons and take care of Volvagia at the same time," Sheik commented. "The Fire Temple must be crawling with sentinels, now that a guardian has taken over management. Your father is in grave danger."

"Don't worry – I'll find your dad," said Link. "After all, he's helped me in the past. All I need to know is where the Fire Temple is located, and I'll do what I can."

"I've never been there," said the Goron. "But it should be somewhere in the lava chamber of Death Mountain."

"What! The lava chamber?" gasped Link. "I can't go in there! It would be way too hot! I'd suffocate!"

"He's right, young one," said Sheik. "Hylians such as Link aren't used to such high temperatures like Gorons are. The intense heat of Death Mountain's crater would surely kill him would he stay within for long."

A sly smirk appeared on the Goron's face. "Not to worry – I already know that. I have just the think for you, Link! Here, follow me; you'll see what I mean."

The Goron turned in the opposite direction and began to walk down the hallway.

"Where are you taking me?" Link asked, beginning to follow.

"Let's just say I wasn't the only Goron that stayed behind!"

* * *

_Darunia slowly opened his eyes. He found himself lying on his stomach in the smouldering terrain just outside the gates of the Fire Temple. The force of the titanic blast had seemingly given him a concussion, but other than a slight headache, his body was left fully intact. The ground was warmer than it usually was, fuelled by the intense heat wave rippling in from the chambers of molten rock behind him. The air around him waved and swirled, causing odd mirages and distortions of light._

_He raised himself to his feet. Only now did he realize that the blast had taken its toll on his back as well. He leaned against the brick wall next to him, constructed years ago by the temple's architect himself. Despite the extraordinary heat, the wall remained cool, unmoved by the high temperatures._

_He found his carved spear at his side, now charred completely black. When he picked it up, he was thankful to find that it still remained useable, and only the bark had been seared off. Sticks such as these were hard to come by, especially on Death Mountain. They were originally supplied via trade routes with the Hylians, who got to them from the outer ring of the Forbidden Forest. Ever since Ganondorf took over, all trade agreements across Hyrule were severed, and most of the various tribes that inhabited the land were forced to fend for themselves. Now these wooden spears had to be tightly rationed, as no Goron would dare venture as far away from their home as the Forbidden Forest in the state the world was in now._

_He clutched the spear tightly and once again continued his way through the front gates of the Fire Temple. They were without doors, but not without protection. As the Chief Goron passed into the temple's lobby, he was immediately faced with two crossed spears of two guardsmen, both Lizalfos._

"_Halt!" one of them shouted._

"_State your identity, scum!" ordered the other._

"_I am Darunia," he said, not looking at either one of the guards. "Chief of the Goron tribe. I have come here to set my people free."_

_The guards laughed. "Darunia, eh? I think you're the one Master Volvagia was looking for. He wants you alive, and begging for mercy."_

"_He will have what he wishes," said Darunia. "But he will not have me begging like a dog."_

_Darunia forcefully drove his broad elbow into the exposed face of the left Lizalfos, causing it to trip and stumble back. Before the other guard could act, he grabbed the shaft of its protruding spear and used it as a lever to pick the reptilian humanoid off the ground and throw it into its fellow soldier. They both dropped their weapons on impact, their steel shafts clattering to the floor. They tumbled to the ground, one on top of the other. Darunia was the last to add to the pile, where he took the opportunity to land a good punch to the topmost Lizalfos, putting it out of commission. He threw its limp body off of the other, and grabbed the remaining one by the collar._

"_Where is your master!" he demanded, but the Lizalfos responded by viciously spitting in his face._

"_Damn you and your ilk!" it screamed. "Your recklessness will get you nowhere!"_

_Darunia struck it in the stomach, causing it to coil in agony, coughing and hacking._

"_Where is Volvagia!" said Darunia again. "Answer me!"_

"_You don't intimidate me, Goron," said the Lizalfos, still coughing. "My men will have your head soon enough."_

_His patience running thin, Darunia struck the Lizalfos again, but this time much lower than the previous strike. The Lizalfos screamed shrilly, unable to tolerate the pain._

"_I'm not going to ask again!" he said. "Where is your master hiding!"_

"_Okay…" the Lizalfos whimpered. "All right…I'll tell you. Volvagia resides down the main hall…the one that leads to the very center of Death Mountain's lava chamber."_

_Darunia let go of the Lizalfos, letting him drop to the floor to cower. He turned towards the direction the Lizalfos pointed him out to, and began to head forward._

"_You head to your death!" it cried. "Lord Volvagia shall feast on your flesh!"_

"_We Gorons have defeated your master in the past!" Darunia shouted. "Today, history shall repeat itself."_

* * *

Although Goron Link seemed like he was leading Link to a mysterious place, he instead lead him to somewhere familiar. The Hylian now stood in the recognizable quarters of Darunia. Nothing seemed different, aside from the fact that the bench press that he was using when they first met was no longer present within the room.

The young Goron had led him here and told him and Sheik to wait within while he left to retrieve whatever it was he claimed would help Link with his dilemma. They had been waiting for around ten minutes before the Goron returned.

"Here you are," he said. "This should solve all your heat-related problems."

He outstretched his large hand, and offered Link a pile of blood-red fabric, with various neat stitching apparent. When Link took the fabric out of the Goron's hands, he realized that it was actually two separate pieces, and had a somewhat familiar shape. When he unfolded them completely, however, he discovered that it was in fact an exact replica of his emerald green tunic and cap, only bright scarlet.

"What is this?" he asked.

"The pride and joy of the Goron merchant," the child replied. "What you hold is a prototype Goron tunic."

Link took a long look at the clothes he was just given. "But a Goron wouldn't be able to fit into these…"

"Oh, they're not meant for Gorons," the child replied. "The merchant designed them for Hylians such as yourself. He figured that the reason nobody ever came up here was because they were afraid of the high temperatures of the mountain. Of course, he hasn't gotten around to making a lot of them; the one you hold is the only one in existence."

"But how come they look exactly like my clothes? It's like they were meant for me."

The Goron shrugged. "The merchant said you were the last of your kind to set foot in Goron City since Ganondorf took over. He thought your clothes were the latest style, so he modeled them as such."

Link looked back down at the clothes and sighed. "Great. I'm a fashion model." He looked back up at the Goron. "Are you sure they don't come in green?"

"What's wrong with red?"

"Nothing," Link said hastily. "It's just…I'm so used to wearing green all the time…"

The Goron shook his head, yet at the same time he bore a wide grin. "Sorry. As of right now, red is the only colour."

Link grunted. "Fine…I guess I'll have to settle for red, then. You say these will protect me from high temperatures?"

"You'll feel them as a Goron would," the child replied.

"All right then…let me try them on. Give me a second."

Link first removed his cap and placed it on the large table next to him. He then carefully removed his tunic, folded it neatly, and placed it on the table as well. Now almost shivering, only dressed in his purely white leggings and shirt, he quickly unfolded the Goron tunic and slipped it over his head. When all was said and done, including the buckling of the already supplied belt, the tunic seemed to fit perfectly. He then picked up the matching hat and placed it snugly on his head.

Sheik was already laughing. "Now that's a good look for you."

"I don't know…" Link mumbled, shifting in his new clothes. "Red is…such a weird colour…"

"Enough about the colour!" said the Goron. "You need to get the Fire Temple."

"Oh…right," said Link. He reached behind him and began reclaiming his equipment. "How do I get there?"

The Goron smiled. "Normally, you'd have to climb to the very summit of Death Mountain, and literally climb down into the depths of its crater, hopefully winding up near the temple's vicinity. But most people don't know that there is actually a secret entrance to the crater only known to us Gorons."

"A secret way?"

The Goron nodded. "Do you see that statue?" he asked, pointing to the opposite end of the room.

Link finished gathering his necessary items. He looked to where the Goron was pointing, and immediately saw the statue that loomed over the room. It was also one of the first things he noticed when he first entered this room seven years ago. It was a large, primitive, block-like statue of an ancient Goron, holding a metal spear in its left hand, the weapon not proportional to the statue's size.

"Yeah, I see it."

"Try moving it."

Link looked at the large size of the statue for a few moments, unable to determine whether or not he'd be able to move it. On top of that, he wasn't exactly sure why Goron Link wanted him to move it in the first place. He didn't want to bother questioning the Goron's request; he seemed pretty knowledgeable thus far, especially for a child his age. Link calmly strode over to the other side of the room where the statue stood snug against the wall. It was here that he began to notice something odd about it. Where the statue touched the wall, small streaks of black poked around the corners – char marks. He vaguely remembered seeing these as a child, yet passed it off as something to ignore. Feeling curious now, Link placed his hands on the back corner of the statue he was facing, and the second his fingers touched the rock, he felt significant warmth. More allured than ever, Link took a deep breath, and began to heave on the massive statue.

It began to move with relative ease, but not in the way Link expected it to. It only moved on the side Link was pulling, and swung open as if it were a door on hinges. It opened slowly, yet Link had no trouble keeping it motion. Once it was significantly away from the wall, Link peered around the statue to see what it revealed. Beyond lay a burning tunnel, glowing red with flowing embers and a constant breathing of heat.

"Head down that tunnel, and you'll find yourself right in front of the Fire Temple," said the Goron. "Please, don't let Volvagia hurt anyone. You have to stop him at all costs! That dragon can't be allowed to live on this mountain anymore!"

Link turned to Sheik. "What about you? Isn't it going to be too hot for you?"

"We shall travel together for a while longer," said Sheik. "I wear Sheikah armour. It is highly resistant to extreme temperature conditions. I imagine it is made of the same material as your new tunic."

"Speaking of which," said Link, turning back to the Goron. "Can you hang on to mine? I imagine I'm only borrowing this one."

"Yeah," said the Goron. "The merchant needs it back as soon as you're done with it."

"You're father will be all right. I promise," said Link, giving the child a warm smile.

He turned to face the calm pulse of rushing hot air howling out of the rounded tunnel. Turning his head to take one final breath of the cool air of Goron City, he stepped forward and began to head inside.


	29. Of Flame and Ice

29

_Of Flame and Ice_

"_Morpha denies all suspicions, Lord," Bongo-Bongo whispered. "My confrontation brought no clear evidence, yet I sensed its tones to be somewhat covert."_

"_It brings no concerns with me," Ganondorf muttered. "My Water Guardian has thus-far proved its loyalty. I shan't revoke the privileges I have bestowed upon it for several long and enduring years."_

"_Your word is law, Master," said Bongo-Bongo. "Yet being Morpha's equal in rank, I cannot turn a blind eye to its movements. It has contacted Volvagia in the same manner as I speak to you now."_

"_Perhaps these methods have distorted your judgement," said Ganondorf, still not looking directly at the Shadow Guardian's visual portal. "Speaking freely between dimensions can often send false messages, as water distorts light."_

"_I merely report my findings, Lord," said Bongo-Bongo. "Interpret them as you wish. I shall not intervene."_

"_You speak to me directly. Explain why you haven't contacted your superior."_

"_Lord Kanakana was impossible to reach, despite my efforts," Bongo-Bongo clarified. "He must have cast a dimensional rift barrier about himself before I attempted to speak with him. He obviously intended not to accept my findings, despite the fact that they were urgent. I had no choice but to instead contact you directly, Lord, due to the magnitude of this information's importance."_

_Ganondorf continued to look toward the lumbering darkness. "It has been noted. Yet despite the conditions of which the other guardians are practicing under, it has little to no influence on the operation currently in progress. I trust you understand?"_

"_Lord, you have mentioned this operation numerous times in recent days. What of it?"_

"_I certainly hope you are not freely attempting to gather information from me, Shadow Guardian," Ganondorf remarked calmly, lifting a wicked sneer._

"_It was not of my intention. I don't believe I stated my inquiry under the influence of a well-conscious mind. My apologies, Lord."_

_Requesting information from the king in these days was considered a sign of treachery when the report was not verbally offered from the king himself._

"_Dark times creep ever closer," Ganondorf mumbled. "For too long our world has prospered, and even now a great evil threatens to engulf its very providence." A bolt of lightning flashed from behind the castle windows. "A storm rises in the northeast. A storm of fire. The very symbol of the peace of Death Mountain has been replaced with the ominous roar of crimson light, shining down on near lands as a desperate attempt of warning."_

"_Of what?"_

"_Impending doom, perhaps?" Ganondorf chuckled. "What Volvagia is planning is most likely not of my interest, since he has denied direct conversation with me. Somehow, I'll let him continue. I'm sure it will be a lesson for all of us to learn." He turned to Bongo-Bongo. "Enough of this. What of you, Shadow Guardian? How long do you plan on staying in that dimension of yours?"_

"_Not much longer, Lord," Bongo-Bongo explained. "These are careful proceedings. I was sealed in the sewers of Kakariko not by physical force, but by powerful ancient Sheikah curse. Not only did it attempt to seal me away far beneath the settlement, but to also entrap me in our plane of the universe. I managed to break past the spell's secondary purpose, and am currently attempting to re-enter the living world. The incantation takes time, Master. Please be patient."_

"_And what of the sewer's cloacae?"_

"_Upon my confinement in the chasm, my very presence corrupted its life signature," Bongo-Bongo muttered. "Dark things now dwell in those tunnels. The Hylians are blissfully unaware of the lurking presence perilously close beneath their doorstep. The surviving Sheikah that attempted to imprison me there has done far more damage than she realizes."_

_Ganondorf paused. "Very well, then. I shall expect you returning to this dimension within a few days?"_

"_I shall not disappoint you, Lord," said Bongo-Bongo. "The gate opens ever wider, and my servants anxiously await my revival, possibly more eagerly than you, Master. All of the inhabitants of my realm shall be made fully aware of my recrudescence. However, most of all, the wretched Sheikah that attempted to seal me away will be the first to meet my black hand."_

_Ganondorf turned away. "And so it shall. Begone – you have served your purpose for now."_

"_As you wish, Master," Bongo-Bongo whispered._

_The Shadow Guardian's portal snapped shut, sending a dimensional shockwave reverberating through the chamber. Although these were not physically powerful enough to even extinguish candlelight, they could be strongly felt by the mind._

_The Great King of Evil turned toward the bottle and glass waiting on the far table and proceeded towards it. He poured himself a drink – red wine, made with grapes picked from the western fields, just outside the border of the dry desert._

_Sipping his glass, he looked out towards the opaque windows, observing the calm, crimson flicker of Death Mountain's corrupted halo, all the while bearing a knowing grin._

* * *

There was a violent updraft of searing hot air emerging from the depths of the cavern. Link shielded his face from the steaming gales as he struggled to move forward, protecting himself from the danger all around him.

He was now in the heart of Death Mountain's crater. It was larger than Link had anticipated, complete with a series of tall plateaus and natural rock bridges that spanned great distances, made of material much more heat-resistant than the molten rock below. How they survived thousands of years' worth of powerful eruptions, Link had yet to discover. There was a constant roaring of energy rumbling from the crater's depths, light being distorted by the rising air and the stone walls of the cavern acting as mirrors to its pulsing red glow. Geysers of magma rocketed past him, spraying fine mists of molten rock outwards, splattering dangerously close to Link's position, all with devastating force.

Of all the unique and strange atmospheres Link had been in, this one was by far the most intense. With everything and anything being a potential fatal hazard, he was forced to be as cautious as possible as he progressed forward on the narrow bridge that connected the hidden tunnel towards Goron City and the obscure destination ahead. It was hard to see in the distance, but there was not much further to go. Beyond there were two rows of tall, handcrafted pillars, timeworn and charred jet-black. They most likely marked the path towards the hidden Fire Temple, but to properly distinguish what was really behind them was impossible at the moment.

Sheik, struggling just as hard as Link was to progress forward, managed to catch up. "We're getting close!" he shouted over the intense noise. "I can sense the guardian's energy signature!"

"You think?" Link mocked, ducking his head as another fountain of fire launched past, dangerously close to the small bridge they were attempting to cross. "I don't know how much more of this I can take!"

"Get used to it!" Sheik yelled. "The temple itself won't be much different!"

After a few more moments, they managed to make it across the narrow bridge unharmed and onto a large mesa where the prominent pillars Link noticed earlier stood, being licked occasionally by stray flame. Seeking to rest from the infernal bridge crossing, Link scrambled towards one of the larger ones. He put his back to the pillar and sat, away from the raging inferno creeping up behind.

He sucked in as much of the hot, dry air as he could, but only now did he realize that he needed water more than anything else.

Sheik approached and kneeled down beside him, and as if reading his thoughts, offered a small water canister. Link took it with gratitude, and sucked down as much as he thought he needed, but left a decent amount left for later. He screwed the lid back on and gave it back to its owner.

The path ahead was veiled by a thick wall of smoke billowing up from the sides of the elevation, making it hard to tell how far away from the temple they actually were. However, amidst the billowing black curtain, he saw odd movement. It was quick, a shadow moving within shadow, but Link didn't believe that he was seeing things. Feeling suspicious, he stood up from his resting place, and peered into the smoky abyss. Now he saw not one shadow, but several, all getting closer.

One by one, Lizalfos burst out of the black shroud, all armed and all thirsting for blood. These seemed to be the ones that pursued Link and Sheik earlier on the outer slopes of Death Mountain. As Link drew out the Master Sword, he saw a few Dinalfos emerge as well, but the Stalfos that were part of the group previously were unaccounted for, possibly due to their frail bodies not being able to withstand the high temperatures.

It didn't take Sheik long to notice the ambush as well. He reached for his sleeve and quickly shot his forearm outwards, sending a spray of poisonous barbs flying in the enemies direction. Most didn't make contact, but two Lizalfos and one Dinalfos collapsed to the ground, each having a needle protruding from their necks.

Link met swords with an angry Lizalfos while Sheik attempted to delay the rest, which amounted to four or five by Link's judgement. After a few blows from his enemy, Link saw an opening and slashed the lizard's gut, sending his foe to the ground. Wasting no time, Link rushed the hoard that Sheik was desperately trying to fend off.

He aimed for single Dinalfos, near the back of the group, since he didn't want to get in the way of Sheik's swift knife. The large lizard didn't see him coming, for it was only trying to get around the others in order to get its hand at a defending Sheik. Link rammed the Hylian shield against its shoulder and forced all of his body weight into a struggling push. The Dinalfos yelped, embers escaping from its throat. It tripped, stumbled, and ultimately fell off the edge of the plateau, plummeting towards the churning magma below. Link could just barely see the traces of its fiery breath float over the edge as it fell.

Link turned around to see Sheik finishing off the last of the Lizalfos with a quick stab to the chest, right through the steel plate protecting it. It slumped motionless onto the ground, along with the two others it had previously been fighting with.

Link was now realizing the danger he was in. Like the day before, he was at the doorstep of a guardian's stronghold. He shouldn't have been surprised by the ambush, yet now he was rudely awakened from his carelessness. He rushed over to his companion.

"We need to get out of here!" he called to Sheik. "The Fire Temple can't be far away. They'll be plenty more where they came from – as long as we aren't seen by any reinforcements, they might think we're still lurking around Death Mountain when we are in the depths of the sanctuary."

"Haste, then," the Sheikah called back, hopping over the fallen bodies. "Volvagia has many henchmen to spare – I wouldn't doubt all but a short delay before they organize themselves."

"Too late!" Navi cried over Link's shoulder, pointing in the direction of the sweltering bridge behind them. Once the two turned, they were face-to-face with a straight line of battle-hungry soldiers, all weapons drawn, the saliva dripping off their teeth reflecting the pulsating fiery glow of the surrounding area. Their numbers had increased significantly, and this time they had many Stalfos accompanying them.

"Stop where you are!" shouted the middle Dinalfos, pointing its cruelly serrated sabre from a distance – they were far from arms reach. "You fools almost gave almost gave us the slip back on the outer slopes, but it seems you forgot that the spider knows its web better than the fly that dares venture near."

"These have to be the ones that were chasing us earlier," said Navi.

Sheik had his knife drawn. "A spider's web can only snare those that are weaker than the spider itself. It would be torn to pieces were it to encounter the strong." He paused. "Much like written laws."

The Dinalfos spat. "Sheikah…even in extinction, their survivors still dribble metaphors and pathetic analogies as if the whole world is securely contained within their minds."

Fine mists of airborne magma sprayed upwards behind them, every time momentarily increasing the throbbing temperature.

"Where's the Fire Temple?" Link demanded. "Tell me where Volvagia is, and we'll spare you!"

A wicked grin appeared on the Dinalfos' face. "Do you expect me to comply? We have the upper hand here. This time, you have nowhere to run to. We've swept this place – there's no one here to come to your rescue. You have nothing…nothing but your bloody swords and your fancy heroic gimmicks. We have the strength of many dedicated soldiers. Archers!"

Several Stalfos came forth and drew back their jagged bows, all pointing a gleaming black arrow.

"I could kill you both in the manner of an executioner," cooed the Dinalfos. "And yet you still stand there, determined as ever. You might think that the web of a spider is weak, Sheikah, but when spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion."

"What now?" said Link through his teeth. "We can't just say he's lying. They've got us cornered."

"Have faith," Sheik whispered back. "He won't make his move just yet."

The Dinalfos was laughing. "You're that kid everyone's been talking about, aren't you? You can't hide anything from me, Hylian! Here you stand, at the mercy of my bowmen. This was exactly what Volvagia wanted. Now I understand why the mountain erupted…Volvagia wanted to get you to come to us. You've fallen right into his trap! And I, of all of his servants, will be the one that will do the honours! I'll make Commander for this!" It stepped forward. "You'll die where you stand!"

It raised its arm to issue the command to fire, but as if it directed it itself, a giant blast of magma rose from behind the enemy, a massive tower of molten rock looking down upon them. It was as if they were overhead, looking down upon the churning pools of fire below. The wave, in its seconds of existence, continued to rise up, bearing colours that ranged from fiery red to a blinding yellow near the peak of the blast. It was as if it had facial features; a yawning mouth, flaring nostrils and burning eyes.

The Dinalfos, along with its patrol, did not entirely notice the great danger behind them until the fire began to rapidly descend. The face that Link thought he briefly saw within the fire melted and disappeared. He only watched the Dinalfos spin around, and had never seen such a look of terror on the face of the creature's ilk. The reptile only had a fraction of a second to scream out in horror along with all of its companions as the brutal liquid mountain of fire descended upon them. The giant wave touched down on the plateau and instantly submerged and incinerated them all, as though it had grabbed their legs and pulled them down beneath the rock and dragging them to the hellish pits below where they belonged.

The group of enemies was definitely taken care of, but unfortunately the danger wasn't. What used to be a tower of magma was now rushing towards Link and Sheik like a river breaking through a dam. The flow had easily cut off the route by which they entered, leaving the only route of possible escape as an obscure, smoky abyss marked only by the ruined pillars that stood in its shroud.

There was no time to consider options. Link, while cautiously keeping the Master Sword unsheathed, took a few steps backward before pivoting and bolting into the unwelcoming black haze with only the sound of the rushing hot magma pursuing him to keep him running. Everything quickly turned black, the menacing red light of the crater subsiding and consumed. He lost sight of Sheik, yet he never distinctly saw him turning and fleeing as Link was. He drew up his collar over his mouth and nose to filter out some of the smoke leaking into his lungs, and put his forearm in front of his eyes to protect them from the stinging particles.

He continued to blindly sprint through the gloom, still hearing the rush of liquid rock behind him. Navi had safely hidden under his cap to protect herself from the poisonous fog, but as of right now he couldn't confirm how she was faring.

Just when the sound behind him was beginning to fade, he took one more step forward and the ground disappeared beneath him. If he had not been protecting his eyes from the smoke, he would've hit his head on the rock as he tripped. Instead, the blow was cushioned by his forearm, and the next thing he knew he was bouncing and ricocheting off of a small, narrow, vertical tunnel descending deep into the volcano's rock. In the small seconds of descent, Link thought horribly of a fiery doom below, waiting to swallow him just as it had the group of enemy soldiers. He attempted to slow his fall by pressing his feet against the quickly passing walls, but the hole was so uneven it was hard to maintain a proper hold. He clawed desperately at the ashy rock, only to have his fingers painfully slip off of the surface. During his struggle, he accidentally lost grip of his sword, which was sent clattering off the dark surfaces, drawing its distance above him and eventually vanishing from sight.

Link's shoulder took a heavy blow from a protruding surface, sending a crackling pain through his left arm – the one that was up until recently carrying the Master Sword. Cringing, screaming as loud as he could, he only fell faster and faster, taking blow after ruthless blow from the never-ceasing pitfall with no possible way of stopping. He could feel a steady, rising heat flowing from the deep. It pierced the thick soles of his boots, and Link could almost picture the end of the hole: a small opening overhanging the lava pits of Death Mountain.

There was no light in this hole, at least until a menacing red radiance began to leak from below his feet. He could now see the walls rushing past him, seeming to close their way in on him. In a final effort, he rammed every single limb he could spare into the reddening rock as hard as he could. His knees almost immediately buckled under his own weight, his left arm couldn't retain much of its strength, and the Hylian shield sprayed out bright sparks as it viciously grinded against the rough surface of the rock. The conflagrant light reached an utmost intensity, and Link expected the worst.

Without warning, the pitfall suddenly levelled out sharply, and Link was spat out horizontally not above lava, but of copper-coloured brick. He made painful contact with the ground, and slid to a stop. He was on his back, fists clenched and eyes squinted shut. He heard a small, rising clanging from behind, and then a long dragging sound of metal against rock as the Master Sword slid back to his side as if it has some kind of spiritual bond.

Still having his eyes shut, he felt for and found the hilt of the blade, turned onto his stomach, and began to lift himself up. Once he was hoisted onto a knee, he opened his eyes, and was startled to see a face staring back at him from the floor. It was a primitive engraving in the brick, filled in with a contrasting burnished metal. It definitely had the unmistakable features of a face, complete with two bulging, alien-like eyes, and a large open-mouthed smile. It seemed to be frozen in hysterical laughter, as it were some kind of mocking welcome.

He stood up, looked forward, and marvelled at this place's obscure yet captivating beauty. The first thing he noticed was the tall ceiling; at least twenty feet above his head. The room was scattered with brightly-lit torches, some hanging from the walls, some the ceiling, and some atop of incredibly well-crafted pillars with every sort of detail and statement of power. There was a distinguished set of stairs that led up to a one-story elevation in the room, and at the top of them three familiar faces continued their silent and motionless laughter, the only difference being these were vertical statues, each with a roaring fire instead of a stone tongue.

The room was silent, yet it had a moaning, almost roaring atmosphere to it. The only sound to be heard was the crackling of fire and the tranquil howling of wind escaping from his point of entry.

Link knew there was a possibility of him being mistaken, but from the looks of things, he was quite certain he was in the lobby of the elusive Fire Temple.

He ran over to the small entry hole and called into it.

"Sheik!" he cried. He waited for a response, but all that followed was eerie silence. He tried calling his name again louder, but with no more success than his previous attempt. He pounded his fist into the brick and quickly turned around. He thought for a moment before lifting up the front of his cap, signalling to his guardian fairy that she was needed.

"It looks like I'm without a partner," said Link.

"What are you talking about?" Navi growled, not looking at him directly. "I've been your partner since the start!"

"I didn't mean it that way," Link apologized. "What I meant to say was I'm afraid we lost Sheik during all the commotion."

"Is he okay?" she asked, turning around.

"I hope so. If it's of any comfort, I think that if I somehow managed to escape, he probably found a better route than I did."

"Speaking of which," Navi said as she rubbed her forehead. "It wasn't the most glamorous getaway, was it?"

"No," Link admitted. "But look where it got us…I have a good feeling this is the lobby of the Fire Temple."

Navi took a brief survey of the room. "It certainly looks suitable. The only thing I would point out is the lack of guards. Where is everyone?"

Link began to look around as well. "That's a good question."

Now that Link thought about it, the place was oddly empty to be the dwelling of a guardian. He thought that there should've been at least a few guards, but they were definitely not making themselves known. One possibility might've been the fact that a decently-sized patrol was sent after them for the past while, and they might have distinctively disturbed the normal tour of duty.

Looking to the right of the prominent staircase, he discovered a protruding scaled appendage leaning out from behind the bottom of the rail.

"Or, in this case, who came here before us?"

He rushed forward, but still kept quiet – he had a hard time trusting silence. As he made his way around the corner, a full view of the recently fallen Lizalfos slowly swung into view. Beyond its body, a short corridor with a reinforced barred door at the far end shivered in the intensely heated air. The lizard's sword had been drawn, and was lying closely by its outstretched hand, as if it was reaching for it in some kind of struggle. Its back was leaning up against the taupe brick, head lopped over to one side with a nasty bruise on the right temple.

"He's still breathing," said Navi, observing. "It looks like somebody knocked it unconscious."

"It doesn't look like he's suffered any stab wounds, either," said Link. "Whoever it was, it doesn't look like he was looking to start a war."

"He wasn't moved; his sword is still close to the body. Even if he isn't dead, judging by the bruise's swelling, he's been here out in the open for a long time."

"And that means they should've found him by now," Link sighed. "Maybe they chased this person in?"

"Or maybe it was someone amongst them."

There were many possibilities as to why they found the Lizalfos in such a state. Link continued to observe him, hoping to find some clues as to what happened and how to get to Volvagia.

The dust around the body was heavily distributed. Streaks marked the floor with how the combatants moved their feet before the final blow. As Link scanned the markings, he began to notice something else. Almost like a path cleared in sand, there were dragging marks on the floor, leading away from the body more towards the center of the room. Feeling curious, Link paced away from the slumbering Lizalfos and followed the trail. His footsteps echoed across the room, seemingly increasing the activity of the otherwise dead silent room.

"It looks like he was dragged after all," Link mumbled. "His body left a trail in the dust. Even if this person was smart enough to place its weapon close to it, he didn't really pay attention to the markings he left on the floor."

"But why is there dust in the first place?" Navi asked. "If this is the Fire Temple, shouldn't there be high activity? Dust would be scarce in a place like this."

Link knelt down in the center of the room, where the marking seemed to represent more that of feet than of entire bodies. He dragged his index finger along the floor, collecting a small amount of dust, and brought it close for examination. The dust was oddly grey, and when Link rubbed it in between his fingers, it seemed as if he ground it up into even finer grains, leaving a rubbed-on pale stain on his skin.

He stood up slowly, flicking the substance back to the ground.

"That's because it isn't dust – it's ash."

Link figured it was due to the violent eruption just a few hours ago that caused everything in at least this part of the Fire Temple to be covered in a fine layer of it. The grains seemed to be too coarse for normal dust, and their distinctive grey colour was also another giveaway.

"So…is all this ash from Death Mountain erupting?" Navi asked.

"I'd figure," said Link. "It must've sanded down the rocky inner-walls of the mountain, letting this stuff fall all over the place. I'd guess it would've come down in large amounts through the hole we just came in from."

"Hey, wait a minute," said Navi suddenly. "If this ash came in just a few hours ago, then wouldn't that mean that all these streaks in it would have to have happened after then?"

"Exactly," said Link, smiling. "Who would've come in here almost immediately after Death Mountain's eruption? Link – not me, the Goron – said that the mountain erupted after the city was attacked, so the tribe would've been in the place where they're being held long before this person came in. He also said that his father left for the Fire Temple very shortly before the eruption."

Navi drew in a slow breath of realization. "Then…it must've been…"

"And if I may point out one last thing that I noticed when I came over here," Link continued. He pointed towards a large footprint just outside the site, bearing five sizable toes and similar characteristics of a human, only twice the size. "That doesn't look like the footprint of one of Ganondorf's subjects, wouldn't you say?"

"It was Darunia, then," Navi agreed. "I guess we should've expected to see signs that he arrived early."

"And look – it's as if he expected us to follow." Link gestured towards the series of identical tracks left in front of the initial print. They led up the stairs.

"Are you going to trust where Darunia went?" asked the fairy. "I mean…he couldn't possibly have a clue what he's doing, right?"

Link, as if in an ignoring state, calmly began to proceed up the conspicuous staircase. As he climbed, he calmly looked over his shoulder at his guardian fairy. "I'm sure he had at least a better clue than me. Let's go."

Seemingly holding back a snarl, Navi reluctantly caught up with the Hylian. "Why do I even bother?"

The three overlooking faces at the top of the stair began to appear over them, as if peeking out from under cover. Their stone eyes flickered in the triplet flames that blazed within their open jaws. At the closer distance, it no longer looked as if they were laughing, but screaming instead. Their facial expressions were as a warning to deter the foolish ones that had come this far only to step in the largest inferno of all.

As Link reached the final step, the brewing, rising moaning from deep within the temple was clearly audible, sounding like high winds blowing over a ceiling vent in a cave, but with more of a distinctive voice calling out from the depths.

The footprints turned left sharply, heading towards a blackened steel door at the other end of the room. When Link turned his head in the other direction, he spotted another door of similar stature. Darunia's footprints didn't look like they had any moment's hesitation in them, as they immediately turned towards the former door. Looking around briefly, all the while scanning for possible threats, Link continued to follow the tracks to the left. As the door got closer into view, the light bended by the steaming air began to slowly straighten out. Link reached for the doorknob, but then suddenly hesitated before his fingertips touched the metal. He reached back and instead grabbed the hilt of the Master Sword.

"And what's that for?" Navi asked.

"Just in case he got killed halfway there."

Link was fairly doubtful about directly grabbing the intensely heated metal of the doorknob, but was thankful to discover that the Goron tunic even protected the exposed parts of his skin. Whatever the merchant used to create it, it was certainly a rarity. He pressed the rusty door inward, causing a distinctive squeak to rudely break the room's churning silence. A considerable surge of warm air escaped from the opening, and the airy moaning heard echoing in the lobby almost doubled in magnitude.

He poked his head cautiously around the metal gate, trying to get a decent view of what waited in the chamber beyond. It was quite dark from where Link was standing, with a blood-red glow rising and falling from various dark pits. As far as Link could see, there were no moving bodies or visible threats.

Keeping his eyes and ears open, he quietly sidestepped through the opening, keeping the Master Sword in a place where he could still effectively use it. The walls here didn't seem like they were made from the same sandy brick in lobby, but of natural volcanic rock instead. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he began to realize that he had arrived in a natural lava tube, probably formed many years ago. The walls were a glossy black, shimmering with what little light was available in the cave. The floor was rough and rocky – a result of an ancient lava flow that once crept through this chamber, most likely before the Fire Temple was even built. There was no visible ceiling, but wherever the walls curved inward, there were long, orange strings hung from where they were suspended, rather fragile, created from dripping lava that once covered the walls of this cavern thousands of years ago.

Link cautiously crept forward, hoping to see something at the end. There was no more fine ash in here, so he was on his own to locate the Goron chief. As he proceeded and stumbled over the unsound floor, he frequently passed several pitfalls, each with its own ominous red glow from the magma that still flowed freely many feet below where he stood.

The air was noticeably hotter here, as even the Goron tunic was beginning to struggle keeping Link cool. He could feel drops of sweat build up near the roots of his hair, some even beginning to drip down his forehead. He could only imagine how much the metal of the Master Sword's blade had heated up due to the atmosphere, and if it was dangerous for even him to touch it.

Something began to manifest itself at the other end of the cavern, something solid and large. Link's heart stopped suddenly, halting him in his tracks. A brief mental flash of the gargantuan dragon he intended to draw arms with flew past him, a shaky reminder of what he was here to do. He could only assume that Darunia intended to settle the score with the Fire Guardian, but Link had nothing to confirm that he was still alive or not. Tightening his grip on the sword's hilt, he once again skulked forward, squinting into the darkness ahead and kept close watch of the large thing up ahead.

As he drew closer, the object began to get clearer. He started to lose his suspicions of it being Volvagia, and began to realize what it truly was. It was noticeably tall, but oddly square to be anything of an organic nature. It was close to the wall, as Link could see the shimmering surfaces surrounding it.

It was a giant door. It was almost twice Link's height, now apparently made of the same dark metal he had seen earlier on the other door. On the metal's surface, a large engraving of flame was strongly perceptible, and if Link's eyes didn't deceive him, it seemed as if it was coated with pure gold. Around the perimeter of the gate, another engraving of an entwining dragon wrapped its way around the entirety of the surface. There were other carved designs filling in the gaps between them, but the room was too dark to properly determine what they represented.

Link stopped once again. There was something else standing between them and the door. At the foot of the gate, a large body sat silently, barely moving but alive enough to give Link the impression that this was something a lot more dangerous than an inanimate object. He could see a rather large head, and arms bent outwards only to come back to the knees of its crossed legs.

Link's heart went from almost dead silence to skipping a beat once he realized what he was looking at. The sudden emotion that washed over him temporarily caused him to forget his situation and openly called out across the room.

"Darunia?"

The Goron jumped and scrambled to his feet, his fists clenched and at the ready. His dark eyes gleamed in the room's red glow, and widened at the mere sight of what stood before him.

"Who's that?" he called out. "Who's there?"

Link stepped over the volcanic rocks that littered the floor in order to get into view of the aging Goron. Once he was in full light, Darunia looked as if he was turning white.

"You…" he stuttered. "Is it…really you? Link? Is that you?"

"It's been a while since we've done business together, Darunia," said Link with a smile.

Darunia lit up. "It is you! Oh, it really is the old Link!" He jogged over from where he stood. "Did you hear me? Did you hear my calls?"

Link raised an eyebrow. "I would remember if I did…"

A slight look of disappointment came over the old Goron. "Are you sure? I've been sitting here, praying for your arrival, and then all of a sudden you arrive just when I need you the most. Oh well, it doesn't matter…you're here! We have a fighting chance now!"

He approached the Hylian and wrapped his bulky arms around his torso. His grip was overwhelmingly painful, lifting Link off his feet. Link struggled, but it was useless against the Goron's superior strength.

"Darunia…" Link wheezed. "Let go! You're hurting me!"

Darunia flinched suddenly; eventually loosening his grip and setting Link back down on the ground. "Sorry. It's just been so long since I last saw you. Look how big you've gotten since then! The last I saw you, you were just a lad. Where have you been all these years, brother?"

Link paused. "Hiding, mostly. Ever since Ganondorf took over, it's been hard for me to really show my face, what with my efforts to stop him in the first place and all."

Darunia nodded, the increased wrinkles on his face showing. "I should've thought so. I haven't seen a Hylian since that day. I've been kind of worried about them, but we have always managed to maintain our health whenever there is a dispute on their side of the court."

"They're managing fine, as far as I can see," said Link. "Most of them are taking refuge in Kakariko Village…the one that used to be Sheikah exclusive?"

"Good to hear," said Darunia, smiling. He paused momentarily, losing his grin rapidly. "Well, Link, I'm really glad you're here, and I know we have a lot of catching up to do, but I'm sure you know now isn't the time to be having a man-to-man talk, as much as I would enjoy one."

"Right," Link mumbled, straightening his posture. "So, this is the Fire Temple, right?"

"Yes – I'm glad you managed to find it. Very few that aren't of Goron blood know its exact location. Normally, we Gorons would visit here annually to pay homage to the fire spirits and our ancestors, whose souls make their way here, deep within the temple's secret chambers for judgement. Yet, once Ganondorf took the Hylian throne, this place has always become a dangerous place to go. Monsters started appearing in great numbers from the depths, attacking anything that moves. We didn't lose anyone when we first discovered this, but we were forced to hold the annual ceremonies within the sanctity of Goron City." He began to cringe. "If only I knew what would eventually manifest itself here, we wouldn't be in this mess right now."

"What's the situation, then?" Link asked, feeling safe enough to put the Master Sword away.

"It's a lot similar to why you were here before, brother," said Darunia. "Although I would wager that this time it isn't just rocks and Dodongos. It's the work of Ganondorf, nonetheless, and this time he's planning to get rid of us directly instead of simply taking away our food source. I believe it was a few days ago that Ganondorf revived the ancient dragon, Volvagia. Have you heard the legend?"

"Your son took the liberty of telling it to me," Link replied.

"Oh, so you've met Link?"

"The name flattered me."

Darunia laughed. "Anyway, I'm not an expert on this kind of stuff, but Ganondorf is using Volvagia's exceptionally strong life essence to fuel some kind of invisible magical barrier that supposedly spiritually connects this world with Heaven. It's Hylian lore, so we don't have a lot of records on it. However, it must be some sort of defensive strategy on Ganondorf's part, since the Fire Temple only started to behave like this when he crowned himself king. Whether or not it was within Ganondorf's knowledge, I'm not sure, but what he released back into the world is something that our ancestors sacrificed much to prevent from existing. I'm sure you saw the eruption – you've seen what that dragon is capable of when it comes to harnessing Death Mountain's explosive power. If that creature ever finds a way to escape these chambers, I'm afraid Hyrule would very quickly become a burning wasteland."

Link didn't say anything. He knew that Volvagia was powerful enough to be given the rank of Guardian, but it was also powerful enough to resist Ganondorf's influence. If what Darunia was saying was true, the Gorons might not have been the only ones endangered by the dragon's presence in the volcano.

"I'm sure you see the door behind me," said Darunia, issuing towards it. "The infernal creature resides just behind it. I'm sure he is expecting me."

"Volvagia is behind that door?" Link blurted. "Why? Why so close to the temple's entrance? There weren't even any soldiers guarding this place."

"I suppose he like's his space," Darunia joked. "It seems he has half the temple reserved for him and him only. I guess he feels he's capable enough of defending it without the help of weak underlings."

"Half?" said Link. "How large is the Fire Temple?"

"I can't say; only so much of Hyrule's temples are charted. The accessible parts of the Fire Temple, though, are actually quite large. The temple is built as two large, five-story columns. Before the temple was built by the ancients, it was just two natural spires of volcanic rock that protruded out from the lava chamber. I'm sure you saw their peaks as you were crossing Death Mountain's crater. Before the temple was built, it used to be known as Spectacle Rock."

"So Volvagia occupies one tower, while the other is guarded by his soldiers?"

"That's correct, as far as I know," confirmed Darunia. "The spire occupied by Volvagia, just beyond this door, is known as Gor. The other, where I believe my people are being held, is in most cases referred to as Goh."

"What's Gor and Goh?"

Darunia sighed. "Does no one care for Goron culture anymore? When the Fire Temple was built, Gor and Goh were the prominent twin fire sprits living in the volcano, and the first recorded in our history. Their twin fires they rested upon always caused the mountain to erupt without cease, but Gor and Goh used their power to always cause the lava to pour to the north, away from the inhabited part of Hyrule. Somehow, the spirits died away, and it was never discovered how. The twin lava spouts they sat on, however, solidified into an enchanted rock that was extremely resistant to normal lava flow, but as soft to dig through as Dodongo's Cavern itself. More of this rock became present around Death Mountain's crater, and this structure around and including the sister towers became the basis of which the Fire Temple was constructed. Something about Gor just attracted Volvagia more, I guess."

"Then why are you here?" asked Link. "If this is the tower where Volvagia is, shouldn't you be going to the tower where your people are? Isn't that why you're here?"

"That's where you come in, brother," said Darunia. "I need you to do a big favour for me. The others should be somewhere in Goh, and knowing the nature of Volvagia's servants, I doubt they'll last long in this kind of environment. The problem is if I took too long to find, release, and guide all of them out of the temple, who knows what the dragon could do with no direct threats? Link – I'm asking you to do this as my sworn brother. While I go deeper inside to try and deal with Volvagia, I need you to go to Goh and find a way to release my people from wherever they're being held, and help them out of the temple."

Link's jaw dropped. "Are you serious? I'm not going to let you try to take out a guardian all on your own! You'll get killed!"

"I'm concerned as well," the Goron admitted. "I'm not sure how I'll be able to seal away the dragon, since I don't have the legendary hammer, but I have no choice. If my fate includes sacrificing myself to give my people more time to escape and get help, I'll willingly accept it. I know it's hard to allow, but you just have to trust me, brother. Not far from here are many souls who are counting on you to save them from a fiery fate. If there's anyone here that needs to be living at the end of all this, it's you. The legendary hammer that once defeated Volvagia long ago is rumoured to be harboured somewhere in the Fire Temple. I wouldn't doubt it's heavily guarded, but if the rumours are true and you do find it, it just might be both our tickets out of here."

Link shifted nervously. He would've thought the situation would be the exact opposite, with him taking on the dragon and Darunia going ahead to save his people, but it honestly only felt appropriate for the descendant of the ancient Goron hero to be the one that seals the fiend away for good.

"Is it the only way?" Link asked under his breath. "If this is how it has to be done, I'm all for it. It's just that I'm worried that it isn't the best choice."

"Let me put it this way, brother," said Darunia. "It's my fault all of this happened, so if it's my punishment to die at the hands of the one who fell by my ancestors hammer, then it only seems right."

"I don't believe it does," Link growled. "I've seen too many good people fall under the influence of sacrifice. It's almost never worth it in the end."

"Then we'll make it worth it!" Darunia exclaimed. "We've done it before, brother. It'll just be like Dodongo's Cavern, only this time we're fighting together. Please, Link – this will be the last thing I'll ever ask of you as a sworn brother. I have no intention on dying; it's just a risk that I have now come to accept, and you have to accept that risk too if you ever want to become a great warrior."

Link inhaled deeply. "I really hope you're sure about this."

"I'm not," Darunia admitted. "What I am sure of is that if we do this any other way, there'd be an even greater risk of Volvagia carrying out something unexpected and catching us off-guard."

"Then let's not let that happen," said Link, forcing a grin. "I'll go find everyone else. You'll be in my thoughts."

Darunia breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Thank you, brother. I honestly can't think of anything I can do in the future that'll satisfy my dept to you."

"Then let's not waste anymore time. We can't give the Fire Guardian the chance to flush us out of the temple – our work has yet to be completed."

Darunia bowed. "Then we'll go our separate ways, for now at least. Please hurry, brother. Don't let my effort go to waste."

His fists painfully clenched, Link turned and began to head back towards where he came in. If the path he chose led to Ember tower, then the other door he saw on the opposite side of the lobby had to be the way to the Gorons' holding place. His goal was now different, but his attitude towards it was still the same.

"Oh, and one more thing, brother," Darunia called from behind. "If anything happens to me…please look after my son for me."

Bearing these final heavy thoughts in mind, Link continued to make for the exit. As he approached the small door, he could hear the slow, grinding sound of the large metal doors opening, along with a blast of pure heat pelting on the back of his neck. It was the hottest temperature he had ever felt.

* * *

_Keep running._

_She told it to herself over and over again. She could only hope that her lungs would be able to keep up with her mind as she raced down these familiar tunnels and caverns. She could hear it – coming closer, entrapping everything its icy fingers could touch. Reluctantly looking behind her every few moments, it was hard for her to see exactly where it was, if it had fallen behind or had hopefully stopped all together._

_Corner after corner, stretch after stretch, the tunnels were deserted, no one to help her. She could feel the surface beneath her feet slowly give in to her pursuer, each step feeling noticeably colder than the next. Her body heat could only keep her so warm, even if she was running at the optimal execution of her physical ability._

_At every chance, she would take a turn down an untouched hallway or cavern in vague hopes of breaking free of the chase, but she knew that there was no shaking it before she even got there._

_Even more discouraging was the fact that she began to notice her breath struggling. Air, as abundant as it was, was only satisfying enough for long relaxing days near calm shores, quiet walks alongside the riverbanks, or the simple admiring of the moon on clear summer nights. Now, however, was not a situation where it was most useful._

_Something tugged at her arm. It locked a firm grip around her wrist as it drifted behind her in her hurry, feeling as if it was attempting to rip her shoulder off. Barely able to let out a scream, she was helplessly sucked back, away from the hall she was rushing down and into a dark place. As she fell and stumbled over her own footing, she felt a further embrace surround her, as if in comfort but with a frantic urgency._

_The faceless hold rapidly lost its grip as she was involuntarily lowered to the freezing floor. She could still see the small opening in which the hall was still visible, but felt the sudden urge to cower and hide as the light was swiftly veiled with a considerable slam._

_Some shifting, and then silence. She was huddled quietly away from where she had entered, fearfully unaware of what had pulled her in here, and where it had gone off to._

_She began to notice mumbling coming from ahead of her, as soft as the slightest breeze flowing through silk drapes. They were whispers, shaken yet effectively concealed._

"_Please…"_

_It was the voice of no monster. It was of a familiar tone, and upon hearing it, she felt much less in danger than she originally anticipated._

_There was a hideous crackle from the darkness beyond, instantly followed by thousands of other tiny chips and breaks, all with crushing force and a fierce cold that threatened to pierce the haven-like atmosphere of this obscure sanctuary. The sensation of her fingers tensing came over her as the icy wind rushed over, her eyes watering as they struggled to keep moist and as tears of terror began to leak from their ducts. She felt frail, her limbs quivering even as she struggled to keep still, her head seeming to lessen in weight. She knew that the thing chasing her before was now knocking on her front doorstep, determined not to let her get away that easy. She curled up defensively on the floor, trying to keep warm despite her blood chilling to a frosty degree._

_The sound of spreading ice began to die down, waver, and then roar again down the adjacent corridor, again losing its ear-splitting magnitude as it drew more distant. Her eyes were closed; the only thing keeping her going was her sense of hearing as she concentrated on the sounds around her. The sound of the ice was all but a faint echo resounding within the depths of the domain._

_The only sound remaining was of her hurried breath, some of it carrying faint traces of her vocal cords. The room was still pitch black, and noticeably colder than it was before._

_Faint memories of her childhood drew themselves to the fore of her mind as she continued to silently anticipate the danger. She recalled hiding in dark rooms from her father whenever she got into trouble, whether he had already found out what she had done or not. Any room would do, as long as it was secluded and preferably in a place where she thought he wouldn't decide to look. Sometimes, when he got close to the door or seemed to be moving in her direction, she would curl up and close her eyes in hopes that he would turn and go away so she could escape one of his extensive lectures. She could wait for hours as long as she didn't open her eyes – she would escape to distant lands, away from threat and perhaps fatherly lessons. She wasn't particularly open about her mental escapes; she deemed them cowardly and not something to be proud about._

_Yet here, years after the last time she was reduced to a pathetic, trembling coward, she was once again dragged back to the recesses of what remained of her childhood, no longer facing a wagging of the finger from her father but death itself in its coldest form, long after she assumed she had gotten over her cowardice with age and maturity._

"…_princess?"_

_She opened her eyes._

_The room was now dimly alit with soft sapphire highlights, emanating from twin flames of blue fire burning steadily on the wicks of tall candles. It was now confirmed that she was not alone in the room, for a figure held them firmly in his hands as he calmly got to one knee and placed them before her. He looked up, his black eyes gleaming in the fire's unusually bright radiance, suddenly realizing that he had made eye contact and swiftly receding into a bow._

"_My apologies, your highness," he blurted. "Forgive me for being so rude."_

_Her limbs began to relax, her sense of danger quickly fading. She gave him a stern eye before speaking to him. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"_

"_Princess?"_

"_Grabbing my arm, dragging me backwards, throwing me to the floor without a word or a sound only to shut the door and leave me in the shadow confused and afraid? How dare you!"_

"_Please understand, my Lady," he whimpered. "You were in danger. I saw you running from the flowing ice and could only find it within myself to assist you; it's my duty as your servant. Beyond the path you were running down was a dead end – you would've been killed had I not said anything. Please forgive me for being so rough, but it was necessary to keep you out of harm's way."_

_She paused, her eyes still showing signs of annoyance. "And yet you still have the audacity to not properly introduce yourself?"_

"_Yes, of course," he said, lowering his head once again. "I am Maekau, one of your humble royal servants. I intend on nothing but ensuring your survival and safety."_

"_Judging by your uncouthness, Maekau, I have my doubts that you know who I am as well," she muttered._

"_You are mistaken, your highness," Maekau proclaimed. "You are Princess Ruto, daughter of King Zora and heiress to the throne."_

_Ruto lifted a smile upon the mere hearing of her relished title. "Perhaps I misjudged you. I will trust you to your word, Maekau; you seem honest. But tell me…considering how far away we are from the royal quarters, what were you doing all the way out here when your duties lie solely to my line?"_

"_I was summoned by a superior of mine," he explained. "I was covertly informed of the approaching danger. I was told that the ice was spotted forming at the bottom of Lake Hylia just hours before, and our stationeries down south reported it actually moving against the current towards our domain. Since he was a good friend of mine, I was instructed to lay low and anticipate the oncoming disaster while he and his other accomplices raced to inform you and King Zora of our impending fate."_

"_Upstream?" said Ruto. "Impossible. How could ice freeze over in the opposite direction of a river's flow, and that fast?"_

"_It's the reason why we weren't prepared for such an event," Maekau admitted. "What happened to my friend and his group, I am uncertain, but the important thing is that you managed to escape. All that matters now is that you stay alive while I try and figure out what caused the dreaded chill. Are you all right, Princess? You look shaken."_

"_I wouldn't be surprised, just narrowly escaping death and all."_

"_Please try to relax, Princess," said Maekau. "We should be safe in here for now. The door managed to keep the ice from coming in, but unfortunately I doubt we'd be able to open it again."_

"_How long are we stuck in here for?"  
Maekau shook his head. "Something like this has never happened before, so I can't really say. It's definitely not natural, to say the least. One of the only things I can think of to cause such an unnatural catastrophe would be actual sorcery."_

"_Are you joking?"_

"_I wouldn't joke with royalty unless I was given direct permission. Unlike normal ice, this magic has the ability to transfer from water to land when necessary, and from what I've seen, . Many strange things have been occurring at Hylia's water deposit since the Hylian incident. I'm sure you've wondered why you and your father are nowadays generously accompanied by our guards whenever you visited the lake. Strange creatures began crawling out from the shores, some we haven't even seen before. Over many months the situations got worse and worse…do you recall the period where you hardly left the domain at all, Princess?"_

"_It wasn't too long ago," Ruto mumbled._

"_Hylia's shores became rampant with wild beasts for a time," Maekau continued. "We were forced to secretly send out dispatches to try to keep them contained within the area – we didn't want to have any issues with the other tribes if they managed to escape to the plains."_

"_Why are you telling me all this information?" Ruto snapped. "I am royalty! How dare you and your like to keep information from the royal line? How long has this been happening? Why did you not inform us of what was happening? We could've prevented this!"_

"_Please, Princess…try to understand," Maekau groaned. "These were matters far beyond King Zora's understanding. If all the evidence fits together, we knew we could be dealing with an ancient evil within the water's depths. The gate to the Water Temple was closed to prevent any of the monsters to get in, yet somehow I fear things have gotten rather foul within the sanctuary. Now that we've seen what this brewing power is capable of, I feel it's best that we take extra precautions when trying to deal with it; we're obviously looking at something extremely powerful. Although with Zora's Domain in the state it's in right now, I'd be willing to wager that the wicked there has already seized a significant victory."_

"_How many are still alive?" Ruto asked. "Surely there must be others. We managed to stay out of its way, didn't we?"_

"_As optimistic your hopes are, I can only fear the worst. You know how fast the ice moves. By now even the throne room should be encased in frost."_

"_I'm not concerned about my father," Ruto replied with a hint of sadness. "From what he's told me, he's gotten out of tighter situations than this one – situations involving violent malice far greater than freezing temperatures."_

"_If that is so, Princess, then I strongly suggest you realize your standpoint as far as the future of the Zora tribe is concerned. You were born an only child and have always been intended to act in your father's stead. Your father wouldn't have been able to escape its icy grip, but you have proven you have the agility and skill to take matters into your own hands and help our home recover from this distant onslaught." Maekau looked away, the twin lights from the blue fire lighting his face differently as they shivered in the cold air. "Although my intent was to investigate and reverse this curse all the while protecting you from further harm, I believe it's not my place to do such a thing."_

"_What…are you saying you're not going to do anything?" said Ruto._

"_I'm saying I can't do anything."_

"_And why not?"_

"_I am your servant, Princess Ruto. It is my job in life to ensure you do what is best for yourself and our people. You are royalty – there is no question in that, but even some of the great Kings and Queens of the Zora tribe have made mistakes only from internal weaknesses. You are the future Queen of your people, Princess, and now that you're old enough to think without assistance or act without supervision, it's time for you to assume your responsibility to these souls trapped under a thick layer of biting ice. I know it's confusing and I know you're afraid, but those are thoughts that will not help returning the tribe to its original state and will not help deter whoever is attacking us."_

_Ruto remained silent, eyes rarely averting from the floor._

"_There is only so much I can do or say to help comfort you in dark times," Maekau continued. "I will assist in any way I can, but I'm warning you. In every life there is a defining moment that pinpoints where we take the final step into adulthood. If I may guess, Princess, I'm sure it is dwelling within your mind as well if this is the time where you prove yourself to your people and establish that you are truly fit to rule."_

"_And what am I supposed to do?" Ruto blurted suddenly. "I don't know what this…I don't even know how to stop it. And even if I did, how would someone like me be able to stop it when the entirety of my tribe failed to do so?"_

_This time it was Maekau who sat silently. After a moment's hesitation, he rose and began to pace around the candles, past Ruto, and towards the back of the room. As Ruto's eyes followed him, she noticed a large drapery on the far side of the room, pinned up against the wall by several pieces of antique Hylian-made furniture. Maekau began moving the chairs and tables one at a time, only a about a foot away from the stone wall._

_Ruto stood up, bringing her arms close to her torso, shivering in the rising cold. "What are you doing?"_

"_Assisting you," Maekau replied over hurried breath. "I chose this room to take refuge in was because of the back entrance to the main chamber of Zora's Domain."_

"_What…behind the drapery?"_

"_That's a given," Maekau breathed. "The ice hasn't travelled up this way yet, so it should be safe to enter and hopefully escape to the fields."_

"_But the ice could come through any time…" Ruto mumbled. "If I was still running from it, I would've long gone through the main chamber by now."_

"_Some of the more informed soldiers managed to seal off all access points to the royal chambers," Maekau explained as he tossed an old wooden chair to the other side of the room. "They reported that the ice was expected to come all the way up the river and into the main entrance to the domain via the waterfall. What we didn't realize that there are a series of small networking water tunnels that drain directly into Lake Hylia. They were built and designed by the founders of our tribe in order to drain excess water flowing down from Zora's Fountain in heavy rainfalls to prevent the caverns from flooding. Once the ice started forming in Lake Hylia, it must've travelled much faster up these small tunnels as opposed to a river's opposing current. So ironically it was the royal chambers that got frozen first and it was the main chamber that was isolated from the ice flow, for now."_

"_Do you think there are others within the main chamber? What of the sentries in the South?"_

"_I'm not sure," Maekau sighed. "I was not made aware of what transpired there. I have reason to believe that the domain guards would've told the civilians to flee to the royal quarters, though I could be wrong as well. As for our southern sentinels, well…perhaps you will find out for yourself?"_

_Tearing away a stack of old, waterlogged wooden stools from the wall, the drapery was uncovered. Red, with the Hylian crest as the centrepiece surrounded by a hand-woven golden border._

_Possibly pillaged from an emptied Hyrule Castle._

_Maekau grabbed its pointed end and ripped it off the wall. Revealed behind the falling scarlet was a considerable hole in the rock, a tunnel leading downwards beyond the room. _

_Maekau, now rid of the tattered Hylian hanging, stepped aside from the hidden passage and gestured with his hand in the direction of the sloping tunnel, as if formally. "I have now shown you the door," he said. "Walk through it, leader."_

_Ruto wasn't sure how to stand at the moment. She trembled unsteadily, partly because of the cold, partly because of fear. Before her was a path to apparent safety, yet a chilling sense came over her that beyond it lay a danger not fathomed by the history of her tribe. By Zora tradition, all heirs and heiresses to the throne were required to be thoroughly educated about the history of the tribe's growth and struggles, and despite her generous knowledge of the race's past, Ruto did not recall massive sheets of ice ever invading the sanctity of Zora's domain. The ancient halls of her ancestors had switched their occupants frequently during the warring years of pre-unified Hyrule, some with bloody outcome, but its current state was growing increasingly obscure._

_The air behind her maintained its chill, causing her back to tense, yet at the same time the air emerging out of the tunnel bore no warmth either._

_Ruto cautiously stepped forward, intently watching the depths of the descending tunnel in almost paranoid anticipation. The ambient sound of the room droned out as the deep subtle howling of the opening became evident, showing that it was indeed connected to the cavern's main chamber, where light breezes originating from the waterfall's rushing current flowed freely. She extended her hand to grip the right wall of the breach, feeling its heavy moisture being absorbed through her fingers as she silently stepped in past Maekau's outstretched arm._

_The tunnel felt colder than the room behind her, but a sense of optimism washed over her as her nostrils caught the familiar scent of churning fresh water against smoothed rock, plentiful with fish ready for the catch._

_Although this was the first time she had met the fellow Zora, Maekau had proved to be loyal and useful to his princess. With his apparent knowledge of the current situation, he could continue to prove his worth if he were to accompany her as she attempted to escape her home. She turned her head in the opposite direction to speak to him, but found him staring onward toward the sealed door on the far side of the previous room._

_As if noticing something, he began to silently pace toward it, probably not noticing Ruto was watching._

"_Maekau?" she called out. "Is there something wrong?"_

_The Zora pressed his ear against the door for a moment, and then suddenly recoiled. With a shaky hand, he felt its surface, scanning it with his webbed fingers. He paused, and then slowly looked down towards the floor before his feet. He began to back away from the door, not daring to take his eyes off of it. His shoulders rose and fell as his breath increased, his stance becoming more urgent._

_Loud cracking noises began to sound from the door, much louder and quicker than the initial ones Ruto heard before._

_The temperature began to drop considerably._

_Maekau then spun around, his eyes overtaken with panic and urgency. "Princess Ruto!" he cried. "Run!"_

_An ear-splitting crash boomed from behind the exposed Zora, along with fine sprays of shredded snow and a torrent of freezing gales. The air paled as the back wall was nearly instantly coated in a thick ice sheet while the remnants of the supposedly sealed door crashed to the frosting ground. Maekau was already attempting to run in Ruto's direction, but was already too close to the door to be helped. The ice encased his body as fast as it did the rest of the room, starting from his feet and working its way up. Ruto was already turning to sprint in the opposite direction, but not before she caught the briefest of glimpses of his black eyes frozen shut with two cruel snaps. As she faced the dark tunnel and began to sprint forward, the same image flashed over and over again in her mind. She doubted she'd ever forget it._

_The rough ground was hard on her exposed feet. She would lose her footing every so often, but didn't take the chance to slow down in order to regain her balance. She once again felt the ice's burning cold breathe up against her back as it raced after her in dangerously close pursuit._

_This ice sheet had successfully broken down a reinforced stone door of one of the royal dormitories – she found no reason now to believe this was ordinary ice. Maekau mentioned that he believed that it was from some sort of curse, and as far-fetched as that initially sounded to her, with each passing second the possibility became more believable. The Zora tribe had long been peaceful ever since the King of Hyrule unified the country under a single banner. In days long forgotten when Hyrule was divided into several warring states, the Zoras were merely river dwellers, as the caves of Zora's Domain had yet to be hollowed out by the rushing currents, only fighting to defend their homeland if need be. Dwellers as they were, though, they weren't without connections between the other races of Hyrule. There had been dealings between the proud Zora race and the settlements of the Gorons in the Northwest; though there was never friendship. In those days their bounds were away south beyond the pass to Hyrule Field; and Death Mountain, the nearest of their colonies, acknowledged their sway. But that was long since. Many lives passed to and fro between them during the long years of war, and some wondered if it would ever end. As the constant violence waned as the immanent unification of the land drew near, they learned that the common enemy, hoards of organized monsters serving under a faceless leader, had gone over to them and offered assistance in battle for covert agreements. It was not until later that it was realized by the tribe that the same group had presented similar proposals to other races of what was soon to be Hyrule. Upon hearing the treachery of these newly-arrived creatures, the six major races turned against them in massive numbers. The monsters were caught off guard and driven to the depths of the land's deep grottos, networking caves that dug so deep beneath the earth that it bore creatures even the wisest of the land dwellers knew not of. It wasn't until after the land was unified the Gerudos were found to have been secretly cooperating with the enemy for reasons that they would rather die staying silent than submitting, ultimately being banished to their new home in the barren desert wastelands in the west, often disputed whether or not those lands were to be considered part of the new Hyrule at all._

_She tripped. The walls she was feeling with her hands to guide herself through the blackened channel fell away from her, the chilled air rushing past her ears in howling gusts. The sudden changes in temperature all around her distorted her perception of which way she was falling, whether it was toward or away from the danger. She didn't know if she twirled once or twice, or simply fell flat on her face, but the next thing she knew she found herself sliding down a steeper slope in the small tunnel. The rock felt smoother here, yet it still had unnatural bumps and jags. Her body began to take the effects of the roaring surge of ice just above her head._

_Light. She could suddenly see again, aware of which way she was facing and which direction she was going. She found herself still sliding, but due to her panic couldn't see if she was still in the tunnel or not. She still felt the ground slide painfully below her, and her instinctual urge to slow down began to kick in. She consciously forced herself not to, since the faster she was getting away from the ice, the better._

_There was a bump on the slope, and in a fraction of a second it disappeared from beneath Ruto's belly. Her fingers missed the edge of the fall by mere inches, and she began to plunge down deeper into the cavern. The rush of air curled against her plummeting body as if she were falling through fine curtains of fabric lighter than silk into an uncertain doom._

_That uncertainty turned into a watery chamber, where Ruto was quickly submerged when her feet broke through the waves' surface tension. The air bubbles rapidly rising in front of her made it impossible to see initially, a veil of escaping air in an otherwise familiar setting._

_What the water didn't do was render her vulnerable. Now in her tribe's natural hunting habitat, Ruto quickly turned herself upright before shooting up toward the surface with a swift kick of her leg fins. It was not the sight of the area that made her realize where she was, but the smell. Cool moistness with the scent of a country-blown breeze, one that kissed the pedals of Hylian blossoms and skimmed the shores of Lake Hylia. It seemed that Maekau had indeed served her well despite his fate, and the passageway did in fact lead directly into Zora's Domain's main chamber._

_Directly above on the hall's now distant ceiling, between the cavern's massive stalagmites and ever warping water reflections, the ice perusing her before became preoccupied with the up until recently untouched water-eroded surface. It could barely be seen in the morning light, as the only entrance that allowed it to enter was the main passage, guarded by the Sleepless Waterfall, facing southwest and away from the rising sun._

_Although for the moment feeling like she had been given a large gift of time, Ruto's instincts quickly sent her into a horizontal dive, just inches below the water's rippling surface. Brief and shifting rays of light poured into her eyes as she maintained speed in her chosen direction. Averting her eyes forward, she made sight of her destination and hastily broke her approach, mere feet from the large stony wall before her._

_Above the waves, her path was easily confirmed. In earlier days, while spending time with her friends in the royal entourage, she discovered several secure protrusions in the rock, all within a semi-shallow groove in its surface. It did not take her long to realize that it was definitely climbable for someone her size, and at the top awaited the main entrance to Zora's Domain. For many years she would exit the cavern by diving from various points of entrance in the main chamber into the water below, in order to utilize her newly found shortcut. Eventually she stopped using it, as since the years went on, she found less courage to exit the sanctuary walls._

_It had been several years since the last time the Zora princess could remember stepping onto the stones. The mere sight of them up close was extremely nostalgic on its own. She was not confident, as she feared they had become weak in her absence. Hesitation would not be of use in this situation, as she could already feel the chilling silence of the ice come over her. Without stopping to think, she desperately reached forward, and managed to get the first stone firmly clasped within her fingers._

_She lifted herself out of the water and began her ascent. At first she managed to make her way up fairly quickly; her memory of where the footholds were coming back to her as if it were playing in her head. The rough surface of the wall bore a chilling bite, enough to eventually numb one's hand. It seemed as if the ice could soften its targets before striking. The cold only told her that time was beginning to run out, and quite possibly also her luck if she were not careful. The air around her began to whiten, the ominous pale frost, a smoke screen of the ever approaching attacker._

_She was surprised she had not slipped thus far. She could feel her hands tingling as the cold began to seep through to her. She could feel her body react and begin to recoil, yet with all her might she stopped herself from shivering. Now feeling more desperate than ever, she looked up determinedly at the proximate top of the climb. Throwing all of her energy into her legs and arms, she rapidly dragged herself upward into the cooling haze. She looked up and around as she raced towards the top, trying to spot the ice and where it was coming from. As she looked, however, she slowly began to discover that the ice had yet to descend down the walls. Nevertheless, the rapidly cooling atmosphere denied her observations, and it was far too significant of a chill for her to assume it was only her imagination._

_Stretching her shoulder slightly, she managed to clasp her right hand around the lip of the cliff. After getting a higher step, she succeeded in doing the same with the other hand, and began to pull her body up to safety. Looking straight ahead, the mouth of the exiting tunnel howled in an almost beckoning yawn, the dim mid-morning sunlight barely shimmering amidst the freezing darkness. The tunnel seemed to be breathing an extended exhale of chilling air, with the force of a considerable breeze. She continued the lift herself over the edge and onto safe grounds, but stopped. Her body began to shake beyond her conscious control, her eyes feeling as if they were freezing over. The passage ahead roared in a powerful screech, one that rattled the Zora princess' eardrums. Looking ahead in fear, she watched the tunnel freeze in the distant light deep within, the ice rapidly approaching Ruto's vulnerable location. The ice had travelled all the way up from Lake Hylia's deposit to the very source of Hyrule's water supply, and it now closed in on its precious target._

_Her body felt hollow, the only remaining thing being the violent pounding of her heart. She began to get overwhelmed as the deafening noise smashed against her eardrums, too nervous to act against it. Forgetting all critical thinking, Ruto let her body weight drop backward, her torso falling past the ledge and bringing her legs down with it. The first thing she initially saw was the rushing surface of water below her, and in the split seconds of her rapid descent towards it, she looked at it as a haven. She plunged beneath the waves, sucked deep beneath the surface and hitting the bottom, just soft enough not to cause injury. Finding her balance and averting her eyes at the surreal liquid ceiling above her, she saw ice smash against the pool, the impact alone sending a forceful shockwave through the water, knocking the Zora princess back._

_She felt chilled, but not frozen. When the ice hit the surface of the water, it rapidly spread across its surface, as it had done to everything else. However, although it was in its nature to freeze the surface of everything in its path, Ruto knew, it had not shown the ability to spread itself through the objects themselves. Evidently it was no exception with the water at the bottom of Zora's Domain, and Ruto was effectively protected from the cold. Bearing a satisfied smile, the young Zora kicked off from the rocky bottom toward the now solid surface, coming face to face with what had plagued her home. There was nothing unnatural about its appearance, to say the least. No fine detail that distinguished it from normal ice. It seemed thin, perhaps breakable._

_Zoras are predominantly the most advanced aquatic life forms in Hyrule, excelling in agility and navigation in hazardous situations. However, if unarmed, one wouldn't have much advantage if their last option was to retaliate. In other words, they were easy targets when caught underwater without a weapon. Although they were carnivorous, they did not rely on primal instinct to catch their prey, but technology instead, much like the Hylians becoming dependant on their own inventions for virtually every task._

_This natural disadvantage came at a very bad time for Princess Ruto, as she pondered how she would be able to smash through the ice with nothing but her own strength. Furthermore, she had no way of knowing whether or not it was safe to even touch it in the first place. She looked up hopelessly at its clouding transparency, thinking of any other possible solutions._

_Shadows. She peripherally saw movement to the left of her, not in the water but on top of it, travelling across the ice. Floating away from the surface, she took a more careful look. Something was definitely above her, and it seemed like it was running. Toward her._

_She wasn't sure how to think or act. The image was so distorted from the angle and medium that she had no way of telling of whether or not it was of urgent or hostile intent. Not trusting the incredible speed of this presence, she pulled further away from the top, making sure she'd be out of reach if it were to attack._

_The shadow was now directly above her. It had stopped suddenly, not slowing down beforehand but halting as if in a sudden realization. It scrambled, shifted, almost disappeared momentarily before making the exact shape of a hand pressed against the ice's surface. Behind it, and harder to make out, was the outline of the person above the water, including the shape of a head, shoulders, and legs. They seemed to be looking down, possibly crouching. The barely shimmering light behind it outlined its shape, yet caused it to shift along with the rest of the otherwise moving water._

_Ruto was deep below, far from the guessed arm reach of the being, yet something suspicious tempted her to halt herself, not feeling the need for retreat. She floated in the darkening depths of the cavern's floor, staring upward at the mysterious individual looking back down. Shadows closed their way in between them, Ruto's vision of the surface waning. As the still silhouette faded out of sight, Ruto no longer felt safe in the dimming water, and felt an uncontrollable urgency to surface, regardless of who was watching her._

_She launched skyward, the large layer of ice and its dark inhabitant swiftly reappearing. The water rushed past her like a thunderous gust, so fast that even her adapted eyes were forced to squint as she focused on her target. She wanted to get close enough to see the characteristics of the presence, even if it meant risking herself to its desires. She closed in, and the image of the dark figure began to sharpen and become more distinct. She could definitely tell that it was looking down at her, and had no threatening or hostile stance. It certainly had a head, yet its facial features were all a shifting blur._

_The water felt cold. It had chilled significantly when the ice initially made impact on its surface, but since then the temperature had dropped considerably further. Although Ruto never saw anything wrong with a cold swim on the odd occasion—she rather enjoyed them—sudden temperature drops were anything but a welcoming sign._

_Rumbling. Below her, the explanation was perfectly clear. The numerous pools in the depths of Zora's Domain were generally comprised of the outpour of Zora's Fountain, as was the rest of the cavern. Although water collected in the many basins of the cavern floor, it did not remain there. Various tunnels and rock-carved drains of a range of sizes allowed the fresh water to slowly leak into deeper underground aquatic caverns, uninhabited by the Zoras or any other known creature. Supposedly these small cavernous waterways branched out in several directions and distributed small amounts of the domain's water, such as small ponds and streams. They acted similar to the drains in the royal halls that flowed directly south. Some of these small bodies of water were connected to the Hyrulean River, which was what most of Hyrule called Zora's River after it crossed the boundaries of the ruined Hylian metropolis, mainly due to the fact that only a small portion of its entire length was within Zora territory. The large canal distributed much of Hyrule's water supply and poured directly into Lake Hylia._

_The ice flow had not excluded these convenient passageways. Ruto only now noticed the shoulder-wide opening at the bottom of the chilling pool, and the ice had already broken through the exit. It could not penetrate the water body from above, but from below it spread rapidly, swiftly overtaking the rocky floor and beginning to thicken itself, slowly building higher and effectively trapping the Zora princess between two walls of ice, her space quickly running out._

_Her instincts were all that she had left. The shock of seeing the ice gush from the opening and relentlessly devour the surrounding water caused her to panic and rush up to the surface, the only thing blocking her way an unknown thickness of ice. She immediately found she could touch it, as she began clawing at it desperately, looking for some sort of way out. She tried hitting it, smashing her hands against it as hard as she could bear, yet her disadvantage got the best of her; she barely made a dent._

_The dark figure above her raised its head, as if seeing an opportunity. It stood still momentarily, while Ruto continued to try and smash her way through with brute strength alone just below it. The shadow suddenly shifted its position, and to the princess' surprise, raised its left hand. It came crashing down swiftly and made hard contact with the top of the ice's surface, cracking it. Ruto, startled, flinched and floated away from the ice, realising the individual's true intent as it raised its fist once more. The impact was stronger than the first, fracturing the surface it several places with a spreading crackle. Ruto looked down below her, watching the massive wall of frost closing the gap between them, with wide eyes and tense nerves. She was now left at the mercy of the cursed ice and the dark figure breaking through it to get to her._

_The silhouette struck the ground once more, sending a crashing noise reverberating through the water. The ice broke apart before her, instantly replaced by a stream of air bubbles rushing in her direction. Emerging from their veil, a hand came into view, reaching out towards her, palm upturned. Ruto could've assumed that it was trying to lure her into a trap, but something about its gesture suggested otherwise. Considering the alternative, it did not take her long to reach up and clasp a firm grip around it with both hands._

_She was lifted up. Her head burst through the clearing in the ice layer, where she lost grip of the hand that had got her here. Before she slipped back underneath the waves, she found herself being dragged up by two identical hands gripping underneath her shoulders. She was slid across the slippery ice while sitting, her legs being pulled out of the water by her own doing. She scrambled to get away from the opening, causing the hands to let go of her. Scurrying away without bothering to get up on her own two feet, she kept her eyes fixed to the currently silent hole. She could feel vibrations in the surface below her, getting stronger. There was a large force that shook the floor, sprays of water and mist gushed out of the small opening, along with a horrible screeching sound that echoed throughout the cavern's frozen depths. The opening was replaced with a frozen spike of ice, about Ruto's height. Other splashes of ice stood frozen in place from the main spray, while the base around it seem fractured and drawn up, yet frozen solid once more due to the water spurt._

_There was utter silence. Ruto had never heard her home so quiet. She was used to the echoes of water running across stone walls, thrusting itself into the lower grottos and crashing down into Zora's River, all with the many voices of the Zoras themselves as they carried through their daily business. Even the air seemed to stand still, as if it were frozen as well. The only sound remaining was that of her hurried breath, turning to white plumes that seemed to maintain their visibility for unusually long._

_There was an almost frightening view of what remained of Zora's Domain from where she was sitting. Everything gleamed. Even off in the dark distances that weren't usually visible, there were distinctive highlights, shining in their glacial armour. The devastation was clearly visible where she was, many things she once knew here destroyed. The entirety of her home was lost and crippled, and she was the only one who escaped the onslaught, all the weight of the less fortunate carried on her shoulders._

"_A princess is forced out of her own domain against an evil that has already conquered her. How cruel indeed our world has become, yet it is almost familiar."_

_She spun around, seeing the man in front of her. Quickly rising to her feet, she could finally see who it really was. Suddenly, her heart felt like it was slowing down to gradual beats, time itself decelerating. She felt the breeze again, the familiar scent of Zora's Fountain in the late morning, the sound of streams. All was focused and darkened, and then everything was alit by golden strands of hair. There, in front of her, the familiar colour of Hylian hair shone brilliantly in the gloom, possessing their own light. An overwhelming feeling came over her, overtaken by its familiarity. She had to see his eyes. She had to see their colour. The man lifted his head, revealing one amidst his drooping bangs—red._

_His hair seemingly lost its unnatural glow upon seeing his scarlet iris, mirroring back the soft daylight. Time regained its pace, her heart resuming its pulse. The room was once again visible, the icy highlights emerging from the black like stars fading into view on a dark midnight canvas. The overpowering feeling was gone, vanished, leaving her in a state of loss._

"_Are you all right?" the man asked. Even a voice as soft as his managed to echo throughout the empty halls._

_Ruto focused on him, trying not to look drawn away from the one who saved her life. "Yes…" she breathed. Her attention was still somewhat fixated on the man's hair. She couldn't help but ask. "A Hylian, are you not?"_

_The man's visible eye widened, evidently taken aback. "A Hylian? No. You assume incorrectly. Zora royalty has much to learn about other cultures besides their own, I'm afraid."_

"_I know of no other race that resembles a Hylian so closely. What are you, really?"_

"_I am Sheik, survivor of the Sheikah," he said. "It has been long since my kind set foot within these walls."_

_The Sheikah was wearing a veil around his nose and mouth, his chin barely moving when he spoke. His voice was hardly muffled, however._

"_A Sheikah?" said Ruto. That ancient sect? She knew they were at least associated with Hylians, fighting alongside them in many wars. "I thought you and your cult died out a long time ago."_

"_The Sheikah race is not a cult," Sheik growled. "Though it is not unnatural to think so; many have accused us of being demon worshipers. Yet, from one who knows of our existence, I ponder how you unaware of the insignia I bear."_

"_I've never seen it," said the Zora princess, looking at what looked to be crying eye on the Sheikah's clothing. She paused. "Look, I'm sorry, all right? You just…I thought you were someone I knew. That's all."_

"_Near-death experiences can cause one to revaluate their life. It must have been someone you knew long ago."_

_Feeling uncomfortable talking about these things with a stranger, Ruto commented no further on the subject. "But…a Sheikah. What would bring you to this place? We've never had direct dealings with your like."_

"_You'd find my reasons to be largely connected with yours, Princess Ruto."_

"_You know my name," said Ruto, grinning. "Yet I don't believe we've ever met."_

"_And it is an honour to finally make your acquaintance," said Sheik, lowering his head. "To speak to you in person is more than I would've requested. I have met and have befriended many other leaders of our land, but I have yet to have personal relations with the Zoras."_

"_Personal relations?" said Ruto. "Then tell me, what attaches you to us so greatly that you risk yourself to save me, in a personal conflict?"_

"_Despite what you may think, Princess, your sentries have not been the only ones watching the developments from the lakebed. It has been a concern for quite some time."_

"_What do you mean? Others know of it?"_

_Sheik chuckled. "When it comes to the enemy, many should know within the next few hours. They have many eyes. Besides them, I've been monitoring Lake Hylia's situation long before your tribe began to notice changes."_

"_You?" said the princess. "Since when do you think you've been responsible for the well-being of the lake? My tribe has protected it for ages!"_

"_I should explain," said Sheik as he put his hands behind his back. "I'm a guardian of sorts. Let's just say the prosperity of Hyrule is of my top priority, my life dedication." He lowered his tone. "I know of the evil that lurks within the deep. It is ancient, once suppressed but has risen anew. Its power was unrestrained at one point, but it serves a new master now. It's still extremely dangerous, to say the least. More importantly to you, however, it's the same evil that caused this rapidly spreading frost to appear."_

"_Our watchmen were the cause of it," Ruto scowled. "They didn't trust my father with the knowledge."_

"_Not trusting their own king?" said Sheik. "I find that disturbing."_

"_But you claim you knew of it long beforehand. Why was there no warning from you or any other outside messenger? Did you not tell anyone?"_

"_I must admit, the attack took place far sooner than I originally anticipated, as if something triggered it off early. I always had my doubts, thinking I was paranoid, so to let out an unconfirmed warning that early would be risking too much. Recently I've been…preoccupied with things of great importance, and have been forced to turn a blind eye. By the time the attack commenced, I was in the crater of Death Mountain, whose inhabitants have just as bad, if not worse, a state of affairs as you. Upon sensing its force, I had no choice but to abandon my partner who was fighting with me at the time, and made my way here as quickly as I could. It was no small feat."_

"_You abandoned someone in the middle of a battle to aid us?" said Ruto. "Why?"_

"_There was no other option. It would've been too great a blow to Hyrule if we lost the entire Zora tribe, even if it meant saving only one of them. The spell placed upon your home is what is known as a blood curse."_

"_Blood?"_

"_Not literally speaking," Sheik clarified. "It's called so because it preys upon those of similar genes, this one in particular flourishing in moist areas, making Zora's Domain a perfect target. One of this magnitude, however, I did not anticipate. I have greatly underestimated this being's power; I thought it had weakened significantly since its submission to the King of Evil, yet it seems it still possesses the same power worthy of its title."_

"_What did you mean by preying on similar genes?" Ruto asked. "You don't mean…"_

_Sheik nodded. "Yes, a genocide curse—one of the most forbidden spells known to Hyrule. One hasn't been cast since ancient times, whether or not it was successful remains unknown, and I doubt that will ever change."_

_The very thought of it sent chills up Ruto's spine far greater than any cold could cause. She could not bear the thought of her thriving tribe wiped out in the blink of an eye; it was too horrible a concept to consider._

"_Impossible…" she muttered, not believing a word of it. "My tribe couldn't have been destroyed…not by this."_

"_And due to your fortunate timing, it has not."_

_She looked up. "My timing?"_

"_There are reasons why this curse has almost never been cast, besides its forbiddance," Sheik explained. "It was crafted by ancient interlopers who excelled at magic and sorcery. It was a forgotten race; no historical records make any reference to who they or their ideals were. One could only assume they died out a long time ago. When the curse was crafted by their ilk, it was designed, as the term implies, to exterminate those of the same blood. However, the curse could only work if it managed to kill every last one of the race it was intended to exterminate, and if only one did not fall to its fate, then the race would continue to live."_

_Ruto hesitated. "…you're saying that they're all still alive? Those trapped under the ice?"_

"_Supposedly," Sheik replied. "This was the very reason why they were rarely cast, as they were useless unless the exact right conditions were met. There are a series of these spells, this one in particular seeming to be greatly attracted to moisture. Your tribe has long adapted water as the basis of your lifestyle, and in a confined area such as Zora's Domain, you were the perfect target. Whoever cast the curse certainly knew how to choose their mark, but the fact that you survived, Princess, is extremely fortunate."_

"_But if I managed to live and the curse didn't work, then why is everything still entrapped in a layer of ice?" Ruto asked. "They would still die even if they were all breathing right now."_

"_Unfortunately, it is beyond my understanding," said Sheik glumly. "I only know so much about the curse's nature—fine details such as those are something that I intend to investigate further. If I were to stumble across anything, Princess, I would make it my top priority to inform you of the development, especially if it is vital."_

"_So what exactly do you expect me to do?" Ruto growled. "Sit here and wait for you to get some kind of direction?"_

"_Not at all," Sheik corrected. "Being of your high stature, Princess, you have just as great if not greater tasks to carry out than I."_

_Ruto straightened her posture. "What am I to do?"_

"_For starters, rest," Sheik assured her. "The events of today have taken a heavy toll on you. It would be unwise to begin to take action in your current state. Although the attack is over, I wouldn't recommend staying here long. If I were to think logically, there would be a dispatch sent here shortly after dusk to make sure the spell worked properly. If they arrived and found no presence within these halls, the enemy would think that the Zora race had been entirely exterminated, including its heiress. We could possibly use this to our advantage. I trust you know of a place outside your home where you can shelter yourself?"  
Ruto said nothing._

"_I'll take that as a 'no.'" Sheik sighed. "Very well. You may remain here for the time being if you wish it so, but you only have now until the late evening to regain your strength and whatever else you deem necessary. Before sundown you must take leave; we cannot risk you being apprehended by the enemy should they arrive on schedule. However, what this also means is that you will be forced to travel across the plains of Hyrule Field under the cover of night."_

"_You want me to go out there? In the dark?" said the Zora. "I have not been outside my tribe's boundaries without accompaniment. It was customary that royalty was to have protection on all outings."_

"_Then it's about time you learn to move on your feet," Sheik advised. "Trust me – crossing open areas during the night will be the least of your worries once you arrive at Hylia."_

"_Is that where you want me to go?" asked Ruto._

"_It shouldn't come as a surprise to you. The source of the curse was the lake, and at least the commencement of your investigation should take place there. As of its current state, I cannot assure anything. It would be best if you approached the waters with extreme caution."_

_Lake Hylia was rumoured to be the emergence place of the Zora tribe as the first living beings that could naturally survive both underwater and on land. Its shores had long been sacred, blessed by shamans and paid homage to by those who admired its majesty. It was by far the largest body of water in Hyrule, yet due to its underwater inhabitants was rarely used to collect drinking water, which was alternatively collected from Hyrule River. Long had the lake stood as a symbol of peace and tranquility, but never had Ruto thought of approaching it with any form of caution. Whatever had mustered there had fouled its beauty and poisoned its waters, leaving only the mystery of what lay down in wait below the surface._

"_I was informed that the inner sanctity of the Water Temple had been corrupted," said Ruto after a pause. "Should I have reason to believe that it would be worth the while seeing what I could find within?"_

_Sheik raised an eyebrow. "You know of it."_

"_Know of it? I've been there," said Ruto. "A long time ago, mind you, but I do have clear memories. I was a child."_

"_If it truly has been that long," Sheik muttered, "then I would expect the temple will be a lot different from what you remember. I'm sure you're aware of the temple's spiritual values to your tribe?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Besides acting as spiritual ground for the Zoras, it, like the other temples of Hyrule, also has other roles to play. I'm in no position to lecture Zora royalty about their own temple, thus I feel this is something you should discover on your own. I know someone who had to do it the same way, not too long ago."_

_Ruto lowered her head slightly. "All right," she said. "If I don't, there's not much left for me here…"_

"_It is your duty to change that," Sheik said sternly. "You have my sympathies, don't get me wrong, but time is of the essence. I know that this is abrupt, but so was the attack, and I'm forced to act, do you understand?"_

_Ruto nodded._

"_Have I humbled you, Princess? You don't seem as resistant. I didn't mean to intimidate."_

"_No, it's not you," Ruto said quickly. "Trust me. There's…lots I need to think about."_

_Sheik nodded. "I understand. I have seen the devastation that happens to people after their homes were destroyed, all of them looking back on their previous lives. Unlike them, your domain is not beyond repair, not yet anyway. Dedicate yourself—focus on it and nothing else. When the time comes, you will know what to do."_

_The Zora princess nodded her head again slowly, looking away._

"_Maintain that dedication; there's still hope," said Sheik. "I will leave you to your preparations, but don't neglect your rest; it is perhaps the most important."_

_The Sheikah paused, looking at the young Zora momentarily. He then backed up a few paces, gaining distance. His hand reached into a pouch close to where his hand dangled, grabbing something._

"_Good luck," he said. "You will not be alone. I promise."_

_He suddenly threw the object in his hand towards the ground before shielding his eyes. Before Ruto could react, there was a bright white flash, replacing any vision she had with a bright haze. She managed to shake it off quickly, but by the time she managed to regain her sight, the Sheikah was already gone. It was chillingly silent, leaving her only to think of the meaning of his final words._

_She never got the chance to thank him._

* * *

"Behind you!"

Hearing Navi's warning, Link spun around to be met with smoking fangs in a flurry of flaming wings. He released his grip and let the arrow fly, piercing it through the torso, the sheer momentum of the projectile sending it flying into the darkness and out of sight.

He had seen many of them since he had parted with Darunia and ventured deep within the temple's darkening caverns and halls. A sea of fire awaited him between the main lobby and the tower of Goh, and although initially intimidating, the intricately placed bridges managed to give him a speedy approach. It was not perfect, as the path was fractured in many places, forcing him to jump the gaps. Since entering Goh, he managed to make his way up at least one level, and was now heading down a straight hallway. Giant torches blared on either side of them, illuminating the rocky tunnel in an orange glow, the black walls basking in the wash of amber. As for major enemies, he had not seen many. He did see movement, nonetheless, but far too distant to pinpoint. Many odd creatures, however, were spotted on the way here, such as giant red masses of slime carrying large flames on their backs, which Navi described as Torch Slugs. Besides their perpetually burning flesh, they seemed to pose little threat; fortunately those he had seen so far he had spotted from a distance.

A dark door lay before him, rust encrusting its steel surface. The knob, however, was safely distanced from the corrosion, still functional. Link grabbed and turned it quickly, nervous the heated metal would burn through his gloves. Almost kicking in the door as he entered, he found himself in a small room, with enough space to fit ten or so other people Link's size.

There was nothing of particular interest at a glance. The walls were laid bare, save for torches flanking both sides of a text engraving on the opposite end. Feeling almost a slight disappointment for the lack of excitement the chamber offered, Link glumly sheathed the Master Sword. As he approached the brightly lit characters vigorously carved into the dark stone facing him, Navi fluttered ahead, eager to see what was written on the tablature, sending trails of cyan sparks behind her wing.

"I would've expected something more," Link commented. "Looks like we've come to a dead end."

"Not all dead ends can be bad," said Navi, briefly turning from her study of the words. "Any information would be helpful."

"You think Volvagia's guards took the time to carve out the exact location of the Gorons here?" Link asked. "Because that's the kind of information I'd be looking for."

"No need to mock," the fairy sighed. "You're so impatient."

Link paced a few steps toward the passage displayed at eye level on the wall. There was a fine golden border around it, curling around itself, its gleam wavering in the firelight. Upon closer inspection, however, the Hylian realized that it was in the shape of something, a long serpent wrapping its way around the tablet's perimeter. A golden, foul lizard with raging eyes cruel horns, its claws sinking into the rock as if it were helpless prey. Link had never had the misfortune to see a real dragon with his own eyes, but he was already beginning to get an idea of what they looked like.

Drawing his attention away from the design, he focused more on the strange characters in the centre. He recognized them somewhat, recalling those of similar design on the altar in the Temple of Time.

"Do you know what it says?" he asked.

Navi inspected the letters more carefully. "Ancient Hylian…yep. I can read it."

"I thought I recognized the letters. Must be the same language as the text in the Temple of Time."

"Not exactly," Navi corrected. "The language varied depending on region. And since this was carved here on Death Mountain, it's worded differently than say Hyrule Castle Town."

Link paused. "Translate it, will you?"

"Everything's so rushed with you!" she shouted. She looked back up at the lore. "It's a poem. Shame…I never liked poetry. Oh well, I'll translate as best I can.

"_Awaken, Lord, thou reclaims thy throne  
Run down the weak, mere flesh and bone  
The blood of the mountain is thine to command_

_Yet old fear shall again strike by new hand_

_One brings the weapon, before dawn of moon_

_The blow of the hammer will decide thy doom._"

"The blow of the hammer?" said Link almost immediately after the poem was finished. "Why do I keep hearing about a hammer?"

"What do you mean?" Navi asked.

"The Goron who shares my namesake mentioned that an ancient hero of the tribe wielded a legendary hammer. Darunia also brought it up…he said he was concerned because he didn't _have_ it. Now some strange poem within the Fire Temple uses it in its final line, and hints death in the same sentence. Do you have any idea what it is?"

"Somehow I get the feeling it won't be long until I do," Navi mumbled. "Hey…do you think it's a hammer of some sort?"

"Hey…what was that thing you were saying earlier about not mocking?"

Navi sneered at him.

"And furthermore," Link continued, "This was written in ancient Hylian. How did it rhyme in the translation?"

Navi's facial expression was wiped clean save but a blank stare. "I…well…I don't know…"

There was a noise behind him. His senses rapidly shifting, he found the Master Sword's hilt, and swung blindly in the opposite direction, making contact with hard wood. He saw the eyes, and, to his own surprise, immediately recognized them.

"You!" he growled. The one blocking the longsword's blade with a familiar staff weapon glared back with similar fury.

"No…" it snarled. "Not you…"

They broke their weapons off from each other, bother immediately scrambling to opposite ends of the dangerously small room. Link kept the Hylian shield close to himself, the Master Sword at the ready in his other hand. The Lizalfos opposite him maintained its defence, pointing the blade of its zanbatou at the Hylian, the tattered and torn scarlet flag bearing the old arms of King Dodongo waving in the scorching air.

Link didn't think there were too many differing features between Lizalfos, but somehow he knew who this one was. It was the same fiend who captured him in Dodongo's Cavern. Those flaring yellow eyes once glared into his many years before, their flicker upon the glance of the Kokiri's Emerald still glistening in the back of its pupils. He recalled it being beaten up by the very same weapon it wielded now.

"You should be dead," said Link.

"Should be," the Lizalfos replied. "But no feeble Goron would get the best of me, not while I still had my wits intact. Wretched Hylian folk, striding about glorifying their accomplishments and brilliance, defiant of the truth! Obstinate, too – a small victory gives you the audacity to strike the heart of this mountain and the core of its power!"

"It was no small victory!" Link protested. "It cost the lives of the oppressed, just so they could eat. We wiped out the evil that lurked inside the cavern completely, the remnants fleeing for their lives."

The Lizalfos sneered at the accusation of evil.

"You should've died along with the hoard."

"Inferior minds, all of them!" hissed the lizard. "Thanks to the favour done for me by my former superior, I was taken deep into the cavern's mining stations. There I was held for questioning as to my disobedience, when the Goron's excuse for an attack took place. Of course Dodongo's poorly organized forces fell to their spears…a bunch of dependent dogs, needing their master to spoon-feed them in order to combat a frail tribe. By the time it was over, my cell was left unguarded, leaving me to gnaw at the bars until I painfully gained my freedom. Upon entering the chamber where the main part of the battle took place, I found the fallen weapon of the beheaded officer that humiliated me, and wrenched it from his claws. For years I hid in the mountain, living off stray Tektite and Keese…until I found an entity of great power, hidden deep within the volcano's crater."

Link's eyes widened, his grip ever tightening.

"Kvaris, his name was," the Lizalfos went on. "He eventually became the Guardian of Fire, under service of the Great Ganondorf. I was forced to become his subject, although I objected to his visions. The glorious day came when our king arrived at the Fire Temple and obliterated his pitiful existence in an instant, such tremendous power…It wasn't much longer until I served my new master, and the new Fire Guardian. Volvagia has proved thus far that he is far more capable than any other banner I have served under. King Dodongo would tremble before him, Kvaris bewildered by his tactics. In such short time he has regained complete control of Death Mountain, after endless years of internal conflict. If what remains of the Gorons aren't torn apart by his maw, they will merely rot in their cell, a fate that I had the fortune of avoiding."

"He's the reason I'm here," Link stated. "And if your loyalty lies where you claim, it puts us in a similar position as before."

"This is much better, I must say." It bared its dagger teeth. "No longer kicking around a helpless kid, but a possibly competent warrior. No others to run in and break the fight. This is what I had wished for on that day!"

The Lizalfos threw his spear forward, slamming its razor sharp blade into the centre of Link's shield, with forceful impact. His arm unfortunately could not withstand the shock, and his torso was exposed as he stumbled back. Trying desperately to regain his footing, he could already see his enemy making its next move. It drew its staff behind him, winding up for a horizontal slash, aiming for Link's unprotected chest. The wall behind him broke his fall, allowing him to swing the Master Sword forward, slashing the base of the blade as it drove for him. He knocked it back, causing his enemy to lean to keep its balance with the cumbersome weapon. The Hero of Time rushed forward from his pinned position, watching the Lizalfos bringing down the spear double-handed, its red flag waving behind it like a spray of blood. Seeing the opportunity, Link pushed forward with his hind leg as he crouched down low, his boots sliding across the dusty floor. He raised his shield over his back, letting the blade bounce off harmlessly, although rattling him. Now at his enemy's scrambling feet, he jabbed the Master Sword up, making contact, his foe flinching. There was a moment of silence, Link still holding his position, not moving his blade from where he had thrust it.

The staff fell to the floor, clattering violently before falling silent, its silk flag the last thing to touch the topaz brick. Link watched a thin trail of blood run down the shining metal of his sword, and upon sight, withdrew it from the Lizalfos' stomach. The Hylian now stood, the lizard motionless on the ground.

It body had fallen through the doorframe, and was lying outside of the small chamber. It had still left behind, however, its stolen weapon. Subsequent to picking it up off the ground, Link tossed it out of the chamber, its shaft landing on the Lizalfos' limp arm. Thus finally ended the influence of King Dodongo, his army obliterated and an old battle won in entirety.

"It looks like we're dealing with a Guardian," said Link. "Volvagia seems to have dedicated minions."

"Link…that was amazing," said Navi, her face ridden with shock. "When did you learn to do that?"

"I don't think I learned…" Link mumbled. "It was instinct."

"That's definitely something I haven't seen you do. If I know anything about swordplay, it takes years of dedication. With you, though…it's as if you gain a year of training with every passing day." She shifted uneasily. "I don't know. It doesn't seem natural to me."

"I haven't thought about it," Link admitted. "Honestly, Navi, I can't explain it. But I think I know someone we can look to for answers."

Navi nodded.

"Let's concentrate on getting to the Gorons," he suggested. "Maybe if we study the poem better, we might find a clue of how to move forward with this." He approached the metal door, still standing ajar. He took hold of the knob. "I think we can leave old problems behind us." The door slammed shut, its crash ringing throughout the chamber.

Vibration, from below. Varying light began to emerge from the four sides of the room, where the walls met the floor. Small sprays of white, yellow and red bubbled in the corners – magma. There seemed to be a large pressure build-up, the floor shaking violently as it struggled to withstand the force.

Suddenly, the ground was lifted up, rocking back and forth, somehow sustaining its balance and the aggressively churning lava. Link lost his balance, falling to all fours, the Master Sword almost escaping his fingers. He remained low, trying desperately not to roll off the swaying platform as it revealed more and more molten rock beneath it, its heat penetrating even the Goron tunic.

There was a surge of energy below him; he found himself forced against the hot bricks of the floor, unable to raise himself as a howling gust blew down on his back, pinning him down. The floor rocketed upwards, propelled by the projectile magma underneath it. He saw Navi's light amidst the overwhelming shaking, just stray sparks as she hid underneath his cap for safety. Link clutched to the brick as if it were his lifeline, not wanting to let go of what was perilously driving him up into the obscurity above, and into the unknown.

He now knew what he was up against. If only a fraction of the mountain's power could be used to such an intense level, Volvagia had mastered it enough to harness it and utilize it to his will. This is what he was planning to use against him. There were no troops. They were outside the temple, where they were needed. Within the Fire Temple itself, they were scarce. The temple itself was its protection, only the strongest making it through alive. Link was not encouraged, however, as he had a gut feeling that there were things lurking above that were far worse than standard troops.

The wind slowed, the platform beginning to lose its momentum. He found the strength to cock his head towards the ceiling, and saw four narrow walls fall down past him and the floor that carried his weight. The floor grinded against the black rock, yet maintained enough momentum to travel upward still.

The walls disappeared, opening up into another equally sized room, with a square hole in the center wide enough for the platform to fit through. Realizing he only had a split second to act, Link dove off the square and landed on safe ground. He spun his head; just in time to see the brick floor start to plunge back into the tunnel from whence it came, leaving a spray of dust in its wake.

He was now in a similar room, slightly larger than the first, with another heavy steel door looming on Link's right. There was no text to be read.

"I think I found it," Link sighed.

"Oh, you think?" said Navi, leaning her head in front of his face, her hair drooping past. "We should move. The more we delay, the less likely we are to make it through this."

Link hoisted himself up. "Right," he breathed. "Let's just hope we aren't too late."

He approached the door and swung it open. A rush of hot air made its presence known, yet beyond the opening, the flame-lit room yielded something of more significance.

In the dimness, the sheen of holding cell bars stood wavering in the torchlight.

* * *

**-Author's Notes-**

That's right, I'm back. Probrably one of the slowest progressing chapters I've ever had to write is finally finished after a five month lag. I literally just finished dancing around my computer. Hope it was worth the wait. Chapter 30 commences production immediately!

On a side note, the semi-rare Zelda enemy, the Dinalfos, was incorrectly spelled in this work as "Dinofos." I have made the necessary changes to the document saved on my hardrive, yet it has not been changed on the previous chapters here. I will try to get around to updating them as soon as I feel in the mood to upload and replace all the chapters to this point. Not a big deal, anyway.

- Crimson Water


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